Middleton native returns for fourth season as New England Patriots Cheerleader
By Joshua Boyd
Wicked Local Middleton
Tri-Town Transcript
August 14, 2013
Bring on the cameras! Middleton native Angela Lavoie is ready for her close-up.
After being a member of the Patriots Cheerleaders in 2007, 2008 and 2010, Lavoie has returned, making the squad for 2013.
“I grew up dancing, so I love to perform and what better outlet can you get than dancing in front of 75,000 fans?” said Lavoie. “It’s all the better when those TV cameras go by. It’s a lot of fun.”
Formerly, the Patriots had a rule where a cheerleader could only be on the squad for three years. Lavoie, already a three-year veteran, was a beneficiary of the organization extending that to four years.
“I wanted to come back while I still could. There’s just nothing like being on the sidelines for a game,” said Lavoie. “I love the girls. It’s a great team – especially with a bunch of new girls. I also love the community involvement.”
During the summers, the cheerleaders get together to practice Tuesday and Saturday, and that changes to Tuesday and Thursday during the regular season. The cheerleaders are at all the home games and they do not travel to away games. Instead, on the Pats’ away weekends, they generally take part in community and charity events.
“It’s involved, but you can create your own schedule. There are all kinds of promotions that you can volunteer for,” said Lavoie. “One that really stuck out for me was in New Hampshire. I ended up playing baseball with a lot of little kids, it was a fun day. I don’t remember exactly when it was, but I believe it was in 2010. All of the community events are unique and you meet so many interesting people.”
At the end of 2010, Lavoie and five other Patriots Cheerleaders traveled to Afghanistan and Qatar to visit U.S. troops both on the battle front (in the former country) and on R&R (in the latter). She and her fellow cheerleaders also took part in humanitarian aid activities in the central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan.
More recently, being a Patriots Cheerleader took her to the Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa on the island of St. Lucia, where the cheerleaders had their pictures taken for their 2014 calendar.
The cheerleaders donate 30 percent of the proceeds from the calendar to the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation. They have their calendar launch party on Thursday, at which time they will also debut their new uniforms for the 2013 NFL season.
