Eagles cheerleaders display their eco-activism

By Peter Mucha, Staff Writer
Philly Inquirer
Jul. 6, 2010

Two days before the official unveiling of their new “Saving the Oceans” calendar, the full Eagles cheerleading squad will spend an evening hauling junk out of the Delaware River.

The hot, dirty work – temperatures could still be in the high 90s – begins at 6 this evening at Neshaminy State Park.

“Volunteers can come and join us. Everyone’s welcome,” said Barbara Zaun, the club’s director of cheerleading.

The women will be wearing boots, gloves and “There Is No Planet B” T-shirts, as they wade in to yank out cans, bottles and even old tires, Zaun explained.

It could even be fun, she said, as the cheerleaders compete in groups to outdo each other in the squad’s first-ever hands-on river cleanup.

Although no mud wrestling is planned, “you never know what could happen,” she said. “Maybe that would encourage more volunteers to come up and help the cause.”

At the park, follow Delaware Drive to the tents in a parking lot near the river, Zaun said.

The hope is to remove at least 300 pounds of trash so it won’t wind up in the Atlantic Ocean.

That fits the “Saving the Oceans” theme of the annual calendar, which spans the football season and 2011.

For several years, the “eco-sexy” calendar shoots have featured bikinis and accessories with lots of recycled materials. In the new calendar, Sarah Cossa, for example, wears bracelets made from flip flips that washed up on Kenya’s shores. Stephanie Smith’s bikini is made from recycled nylon fishing nets.

But this year’s collection – shot in Riviera Maya, Mexico – goes further.

Sneak Peek at Cheerleaders Calendar: Click here

For the first time, sales will benefit a cause, with 10 percent of proceeds donated to the Gulf Restoration Network, to help clean up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The calendar will officially be released at Thursday evening’s unveiling show at the Prince Music Theater. The soldout event begins at 7:30 p.m.

Sales should commence online soon afterward, with calendars showing up in stores in a week or so, Zaun said.

The first performance of the full squad will take place Aug. 5 at Eagles Flight Night, a ticketed preseason event for fans that features the new football team.