The crew that regularly cheers to help others will take one night to aide its own—and they're doing it in style, with drag, dance, poetry and vocal performances.
The Chicago Spirit Brigade ( CSB ) , a local adult cheerleading squad, celebrates its fourth anniversary with a three-hour gala Jan. 28 at Hydrate, 3458 N. Halsted, starting at 8 p.m. The event, sponsored by Nightspots and Fitplex Fitness Clubs, is a CSB fundraiser for Gay Games VII, set for mid-July in Chicago. CSB will be performing in numerous times during the week-long festival.
Admission is $10 and includes all you can drink for the first 90 minutes.
The CSB will use money raised to help pay for its Gay Games expenses, including uniforms, shoes and practice gear. The troupe, a member of the Pride Cheerleading Association ( PCA ) , will perform at the Gay Games' opening ceremony at Soldier Field, the closing ceremony at Wrigley Field and during the week at events to support local teams. Lastly, the CSB will have an exhibition during the Gay Games along with other PCA clubs.
'In one year, we normally learn one routine of three or four minutes, plus a one-minute routine and a few other cheers. This year, because of the Gay Games, we're going to learn up to five different routines,'said Mary Luecke, who spent two years as a CSB cheerleader before retiring this past Halloween. She is now the group's marketing manager and publicist.
The brigade is a non-profit, all-volunteer adult cheerleading organization, rooted in the LGBT community and welcoming to all, such as Luecke, an East Lakeview resident who is straight. The CSB cheers at numerous area events annually to support and relieve persons living with life-threatening challenges and to promote unity and celebrate diversity through its unique form of entertainment, grounded in the various components of collegiate style cheerleading: stunts, pyramids, dance and tumbling.
CSB members range in age from 19 to 45 and include ethnic diversity, from founder and captain Richard Flack ( who is white ) to Ken Kearney ( African-American ) to Teo Mimnosero ( Filipino ) to Emilie Babicz ( Hispanic ) . There are about 25 members, with five women.
'There are two things that unite us. First, the love of cheerleading. Second, the love of the causes that we support,'said Luecke, 27, who has lived in Chicago for the past four years and is a marketing manager in downtown Chicago. 'You could not be a part ( of the CSB ) if you didn't have some sort of attachment to the causes that we support. All of the organizations that we donate money to are local groups that service people with HIV, AIDS-related illnesses or cancer. It also is a goal of ours to simply raise awareness.
'The majority of the people on the team are gay or lesbian. So, it's always been an interesting time for me, especially since for a long time I was one of only two females and thus was one of the few times in my life where I was a minority. But it's never been a problem.
'My initial draw to the Chicago Spirit Brigade was, the challenge of learning a sport like this and being good at it. Second, cancer runs in my family, so this is very rewarding to me.'
Luecke spent a year cheering at Woodridge High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, before graduating in 2000. She then attended Ohio University in Athens.
She also has about 15 years of dance experience.
'I'm one of those annoyingly energetic people, and working in marketing and public relations, I've always been a natural cheerleader. So, moving into a real cheerleader role was not all that difficult for me given my experience,'she said. 'When I was out there, it was a ton of fun, a ton of energy. It really requires a lot of dedicated people and more trust than I can ever try to convey to anyone in one interview. You need to be in great physical condition; you need to have the mental preparedness to come in there and do scary stunts or things you've never tried before. At the same time, you also want to have fun while you're doing it. And it takes a lot of emotional energy to do that.'
The CSB practices once a week—for up to six hours on a Sunday afternoon. 'By the time you're done with practice, you're completely exhausted, to the point where you can make dinner and maybe stay awake for a couple of hours before falling asleep,'Luecke said. 'It's not only physically demanding, but also very emotionally draining and emotionally challenging. You can't cheat in this kind of sport; if you have a bad day, everyone has a bad day.'
The CSB attracts members from all walks of life, including past college cheerleaders who participated in the National Cheerleading Association to others with absolutely no background but who like performing and like the causes that the CSB aids.
Luecke, during her active days cheering with the CSB, was a flyer, the one who would get catapulted. She often flew as high as 20 feet in the air. ( Other CSB flyers are often sent 30 or even 35 feet. ) She admitted that she was initially nervous but was OK after that. 'There's a huge amount of trust in this sport. And I completely trust that, as I'm coming back down, someone will be there to catch me.'
See www.chicagospiritbrigade.org .
Team spirit and alcoholic spirits will both be on hand as The Chicago Spirit Brigade celebrates its four-year anniversary at a benefit Jan. 28 at Hydrate, 3458 N Halsted, 8 p.m., $10 each and include an all-you-can-drink bar from 8 p.m. to 9:30; info@chicagospiritbrigade.org .
