Cheerleading for All

Amanda Zimdars during practice.

UNION GROVE, Wi.  — Lauren Behrendt doesn’t talk much, but if you ask the 18-year-old with Down’s syndrome about cheerleading, she’s quick to respond.“Um-hm. Fun,” she said last Tuesday, Feb. 5, during her cheerleading squad’s practice, her eyes lighting up when asked about the activity.
Behrendt is one of eight special needs individuals on Union Grove’s Inspire cheer team, which pairs helper cheerleaders with developmentally disabled people for a rare type of competition squad.