Universal Cheerleaders Association - Where America Cheers:: Home9/9/09

3/9/09

When Karen Eddington was a cheerleading coach in Utah, she loved what she did but knew in her heart that if she gave up being a coach she could touch so many more lives. In 2006, Karen left coaching to start a non-profit organization called Cauliflower Retreat.

Cauliflower Retreat is an organization Karen created, she says, “to empower women to strengthen other women in realistic settings by helping them to find their purpose and great potential leading to a chain reaction of inspiration, hope, great endeavors, friendship, and zeal.”

Karen said, “It is amazing how a cheerleading background has helped boost our awareness of issues relating healthy body image to goal setting.” When she started the organization she knew it would be great to get her squad from Box Elder involved.

The Box Elder cheerleaders have had plenty of experience being involved in their school and community and were even recognized for their outstanding efforts in 2005, when they were presented with the American School Spirit Award at the National High School Cheerleading Championship.

With everybody’s dedication and hard work, the organization started off with 137 participants its first year. Three years later have already reached 3,300 teens and women. They have also added four new programs, branching into parts of Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona and California.

This is a coach and group of girls that have not only made a huge impact in their school, but also their community and state. They have shown that everybody has the power to impact the people around them and can make a difference if they just set their minds to it!

To learn more about this organization click here.