Eagles Bring Holiday Cheer To Our Troops

PhiladelphiaEagles.com
December 16, 2009

On December 16th, twelve Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders, SUPER SWOOP, and former Philadelphia Eagles player, Kevin Reilly, visited Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey to bring holiday cheer to members of our Armed Forces. The Eagles Cheerleaders and SUPER SWOOP performed a Holiday Show for over 200 servicemen and women who have either recently returned from deployment or are preparing for an upcoming deployment. The performance included a holiday themed dance by the Eagles Cheerleaders followed by a push-up contest and trivia challenge with the winners being awarded autographed items from Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Brent Celek and other Eagles players. The Cheerleaders and SUPER SWOOP also distributed many Eagles presents during the show. After the performance, former Eagles linebacker, Kevin Reilly, shared a very motivational speech with the troops about the importance of commitment and teamwork. Following Kevin’s speech, the Eagles Cheerleaders and Kevin stayed to talk with the troops, pose for photos and sign autographs.

Tracey, a first year member of the squad, really appreciated the opportunity to give back to the troops. “Performing for the servicemen and women at Fort Dix was such a touching experience as many of them were either just returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, or were moments away from deployment. With the holidays right around the corner, it was extremely important for us to spread some holiday cheer as several of these men and women were going to be spending the Christmas season away from their loved ones. The time we had to share with them was a perfect way to remind each soldier how much we appreciate what they do for our country and to show them our support. Just knowing that we were able to spread some holiday cheer to these servicemen and women was something that I will treasure forever.”

The performance took place at the perfect time for some of the troops. Spc. John Spahni, who had been stationed in Balad, Iraq for nine months, just returned from deployment the previous night, “This performance really just made my year. I would have never expected a surprise like this.”

To see more from the day’s event at Fort Dix, click here for a video recap!