Montrealalouettes.com
Montreal – Annie Larouche is celebrating her 20th season with the Alouettes. Her career started in 1996 when she was a coordinator for the cheerleader’s team. From 1999 to 2011, she held the position of Director of Promotions. Today, she still manages all aspects of the Cheerleading Team and recently was named Director General of the Alouettes Foundation. Many would believe that is enough to keep some one busy, but not Annie! She is also in charge of Football 101 and Mini-Cheers programs, as well as coordinating various activities for the Alouettes Alumni Association.
Over the years with the cheerleading team, what motivated you to continue this journey?
It is going to sound cliché, but the cheerleading team is my second family. We see each other a minimum of twice a week for practice and we are training together for 10 months a year. We go through all sorts of emotions – we share our tears, laughs and joys.
It sounds to me like all of you are close; team spirit should be a key element to you.
It is team work and we are all very close on and off the field. I come back each year thinking about a new idea that will satisfy all the fans as well as ‘‘my girls’’ on the field.
This question is a bit hard to answer but what is your most memorable event with the Alouettes?
The 2002 Grey Cup parade. It was my first parade and Montreal streets were full. There were fans all over the place, it was crowded. Montreal had been 25 years without the Grey Cup. The last one was back in 1977. It was a parade full of love from our fans and we were all in this together. Everyone was appreciated and loved. It was a big gathering and it was really fun.
With your recent nomination to Director General of the Foundation, how do you envision this new challenge?
I am really excited about this new challenge. I have been part of the cheerleading team since 1996 and have been Director of Promotion from 1999 to 2011. I am ready to pursue the creation and development of the Alouettes school program where projects and events support education and amateur football in Quebec. The challenge has many steps; all of them matter in order to reach our goal to help as many kids as we can from our community.
What would you wish the Foundation changes in the community through its involvement?
My wish is that the Montreal Alouettes makes a difference in the life of each kid we meet in the schools we visit. Our mission is to help the community. If we helped only one kid in 1,500 it still matters to us because we reached our mission to provide help. Every single individual matters to our foundation. We do not seek notoriety. We seek to provide help to kids while promoting education and fighting school drop-outs of teenagers and young adults. We also want to be involved in the development of amateur football in Quebec. We are open, accessible and involved in our community.
Before concluding this interview, we took time to get information on the half-time performance from the Cheerleaders’ Alumni that will be presented at McGill’s stadium during the July 3rd game.
Can you tell us some highlights of the performance coming up this Friday?
The half-time show consists of a hundred former cheerleaders who will dance on a 9-minute mix of songs that the cheerleaders performed on since 1996. I will also take part in the choreography.
You keep in touch with all your cheerleaders?
I am really close with my cheerleaders, present as much as former. Since 1996, I only lost contact with 10 of them. When a team member leaves, I always tell them: “you leave the team but you will always be part of the family.’’ Former cheerleaders are always welcome to practices, games, and cheerleaders’ events. The cheerleading team is a big family.
