A Super Sunday
Bryce Alderton
What began as a phone call made by a Costa Mesa woman to a radio
station to help her plan the perfect Super Bowl party turned into a get
together with friends and family, performing cheerleaders and a KISS-FM
appearance on Sunday.
More than 50 party goers -- including Jim Trenton, “The Poorman” from
the Rick Dees In the Morning Show on KIIS-FM -- walked through the doors
of Stephen and Dana Terry’s Costa Mesa home Sunday afternoon to celebrate
the annual football championship game that pitted the St. Louis Rams
against the New England Patriots.
“This has turned into the most fabulous Super Bowl party you can
have,” Dana Terry said. “I’m so excited, [Dees and Trenton] have been the
nicest people.”
The Terrys’ home was one of 36 in Orange and Los Angeles counties that
Trenton and promotions coordinator Rick Morales planned to visit Sunday
afternoon and evening. As of 8 p.m., however, they had visited only 16
parties.
At the Terrys, one of few homes to receive donated food and drinks,
Papa John’s Pizza, Tony Roma’s and Bayhawk Ales in Irvine helped out,
Trenton said.
The KIIS crew said it received a warm welcome at each house they
visited.
“Everything has been great,” Trenton said. “We just came from a party
where 70 kids were waiting for the van to pull up. Everyone has been
really excited. But it was hard to stay at these places for only 10
minutes.”
The idea to visit 36 homes on Super Bowl Sunday originally came from
Mindy Burbano, entertainment reporter for Channel 5 News at 10 and Dees’
co-host, after Terry and others called in seeking help with parties,
Trenton said.
After receiving hundreds of e-mails and phone calls, the station
decided to make the journey, Trenton said.
Also receiving a warm welcome were five Newport Harbor High School
students -- dubbed the “Deestroyers” -- who wore blue, gold, red and
white uniforms and then performed a cheer routine in a church parking lot
next to the Terrys’ house.
All five were girls that didn’t make the cheerleading squad at Newport
Harbor High.
But Christin Veloz, Rachel Thomson, Katie Stephens, Jennifer Nahin and
Cara Buffalini showed up with smiles on their faces.
“It’s been a blast. We’ve had so much fun at the different parties and
we’re thankful to KIIS-FM for the opportunity,” Stephens said. “This has
helped turn a negative experience into a positive experience.”
Nahin shared similar sentiments.
“Wonderful, awesome, this is one of the [most fun] days I’ve ever
had,” Nahin said.
Sunday’s performance comes on the heels of a few stormy months in the
school’s cheerleading community.
Cheer coach Lisa Callahan, who taught the cheer squad for the past 13
years, found out late last week that she is no longer allowed to interact
with students on campus because her original hiring didn’t follow proper
procedures according to a district memo dated Jan. 25.
Prior to her dismissal, Callahan was involved in a tryout dilemma that
first arose in late November when the cheerleading rosters were posted
and Callahan told administrators that she had witnessed irregularities in
the judging that distorted the final results.
School administrators and Callahan originally agreed to let all 48
girls who tried out be on the two squads but that decision was reversed
by school Principal Michael Vossen, who followed the recommendation of an
ad hoc committee. He decided to hold new tryouts to fill two spots on
both varsity and junior varsity teams.
* Bryce Alderton is the news assistant. He may be reached at (949)
574-4298 or by e-mail at o7 bryce.alderton@latimes.comf7 .
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