The Texas cheerleading community is coming together this Friday night to support a program facing heartbreak. 

Last weekend, the Iraan High School cheerleading team was in a tragic accident while traveling home from a football game. The bus carrying the Iraan High School cheerleading team was hit by an 18-wheeler. Iraan cheer sponsor Liz Pope, 52, was killed and her sister Christina Garlock, 48, the bus driver, is in serious condition, per KTXS. Two of the cheerleaders are in the hospital in satisfactory condition.

This tragedy has spurred an outpouring of support from the cheerleading community, far and wide. A BRAVE Strong Cheerleaders Facebook page was set up by Iraan alum Starla Warren, who now coaches cheerleading in Crane, Texas. Warren is calling all cheerleaders around the state to come to Iraan's next game  wearing red and black bows, the school's colors, and in their cheerleading uniforms or spirit apparel.


The Facebook page now has more than 5,000 likes. T-shirts and wrist bands have also been made with all proceeds going to the medical costs. An Iraan Strong PayPal has been set up by Warren.


Warren told KTXS that cheerleaders from more than 50 schools are interested in coming to the game this Friday night against the Wellington Skyrockets in the Class 2A Division II state semifinal. The team that Iraan played the night of the accident, Munday High School, plans on attending and showing their support.

Warren said that the "response is joyfully overwhelming." Munday school nurse Jara Collins, a former cheerleader, said it's "super important for us as a community to support each other because that's all we have -- each other."

By Marc Raimondi