The Jills at the 2011 Kid's Day Game

A few months ago, we weren't even sure we'd have NFL Football this fall. While NFL teams couldn't do anything player-related in the 3 1/2 month lockout, NFL Cheerleading squads still conducted tryouts and practices to get ready for a season that they hoped would happen. Even without football, squads still have plenty of appearance requests to fill and the girls generally put in more offseason practice to get ready for the season anyway. The Buffalo Jills got their 1st taste of gameday action at the annual Kid's Day game when the Bills played host to former LB Paul Posluzsny and the Jacksonville Jaguars Saturday night.

Ruby, Rebecca, Jessica, Laura, and Sara entertaining some fans
They started off the day with a mini-carnival in Lot C where members of the Jills Ambassador Squad hosted a long line of fans getting photos and autographs. The remainder of the ambassadors were working in the Healthy Zone Fieldhouse with the dancers on making sure the Jr Jills were ready to perform in pregame.

Since 1999, I've been sitting right along the tunnel wall on the visitor's side of the tunnel and the Jills, especially the veterans, are used to that and knowing where the camera will be. For most of that time though, and especially since the Bills installed a tarp over top of the tunnel, I've been trying to move closer to the field to get past that tarp. This year, I got that upgrade, albeit a small one of 2 rows. The only thing is, it moved me over to the home side of the tunnel where I sat in 1996, my first year with seasons. It was a plus since I have more friends sitting on that side...I just made sure to let the Jills, especially the captains and other vets, know about the change beforehand.

Jami, Natalie, Omarlla, Jaclyn, Gina, and Murissa before pregame

Reena with some of the Jr Jills
The Jr Jills is always a big deal for the Jills organization, as some of these girls will one day be on the sidelines as Jills themselves so the current Jills always do what they can to provide them with a great experience. Jills alumnus Katie K (2005-10) and current gymnastic ace Jill, who's recovering from a couple of sprained ankles, helped the ambassadors with the Jr Jills guiding them along.

Ruby and Rebecca worked with Billy Buffalo during the game

Omarlla...she just knows when the cameras are on her

Jenny and Natalie in the 3rd quarter
The game itself was exciting, let alone for a preseason game. The Bills' starters had a strong lead that their backups gave up before roaring back to tie the game up late in regulation forcing an OT that they pulled out, sending the remaining fans happy with some positive feelings about the future of the 2011 Buffalo Bills season.
See all the pics at http://buffaloprocheerbuffalojills.shutterfly.com/pictures/26300

The Jills are back in action at Ralph Wilson Stadium Thursday night as the Bills host the Lions in their final game of the 2011 preseason.

Buffalo Pro Cheer Photos of The Week

From the Buffalo Jills, our weekly photo comes from the Jills Golf Tourney and was taken after the tournament itself while the golfers were coming into the clubhouse for dinner. Shown posing for the camera are Alyssa, Krystin, Kelly, and Shannon. If you need any introduction to Alyssa, I don't know what to say...this is her 3rd season an the Ambassador Squad and has won a season-ending award each of her 1st two seasons. We introduced you to Canadian-born Shannon about a month ago but Krystin and Kelly are also a pair of rookies on the squad this year. The two of them are dancers on the squad this year and I've yet to get to know them that well yet but I can say Krystin is off to a good start with the incomparable Murissa being a big influence so far. The only thing I know about Kelly so far is her name...and considering the fact that the last few girls on the squad named Kelly are pretty great girls and were major assets to the squad, I only hope that doesn't put too much pressure on the newest girl on the squad with that name.

This week's Bandette Photo of The Week comes from the April game against the Washington Stealth and features a lot of the girls posing for a photo just prior to heading out for their pregame performance. Shown posing are Lauren B, Justina, Noelle, Lauren S, Beth, Jessica M, Kirsten, and Krista with Danielle not paying attention at the moment...lol. Tryouts for the 2012 squad are expected to be announced within the next month. It'll be interesting to see how the squad looks as Justina, Jessica H, Melissa, and Beth won't be returning for sure and Lauren S is on the fence.

Our featured BvB player this week is Jills alumnus Tammy S. She spent a few years on the squad in the mid-90s and came back as an Ambassador on the 2002 squad as well. These days she's a dental hygienist who loves live music and has probably been to more concerts in the last year than I've been to in my entire life! LOL But when she's not taking in a concert or working, she stays very active on a local roller derby team and knowing Tammy, she's probably a pretty fierce player on the team. You can donate to the BvB through Tammy at http://bvbbuffalo2011.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=475491&lis=1&kntae475491=785D9CB2B75B4597B4B2C7AD0F16651F&supId=330731196 or any of the players at http://bvbbuffalo2011.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=475491&lis=1&kntae475491=C1A54DFFE1C1477A88369D9088C6117C

Jills in Jamestown for the Opener

With the Bills starting out on the road for the 2011 season, The Q, a nightclub/sportsbar located on West 2nd Street in Jamestown, NY, is holding a big Tailgate Party on September 11th and a quartet of Buffalo Jills Cheerleaders will be on hand for the event. The price is ‎$20 presale and $25 at the door. There is a limit to the first 500 only though so if you wait until the day of the event, you might not get in. Ticket purchase includes entrance to block party Live Music, 10 tvs playing The Buffalo Bills Game, entry into jersey raffle, chicken bbq lunch, $1 beers at the beer tent, chance at free Bud Light gear and Jack Daniels gear, free taste testing of new Jack Daniels flavors, picture and autograph opportunity by The Buffalo Jills, opportunity to purchase new Jills swimsuit calender, live dance performance by The Jills and a lot more.

It isn't every week that you get an away game party with the Jills an hour and a half out of Buffalo so it's definitely a must-attend event. Yours truly will be there as well with it being so close to home and the camera will be hard at work getting lots of pics...don't miss out!

The 2011-2012 Buffalo Jills Calendar will be out within the week!

The new 2011-2012 Buffalo Jills Cheerleading Calendar is being released this coming week! See your favorite Buffalo Jill for one, visit the Bills Store, or visit www.buffalojills.com by the end of the week!

This year's calendar features 6th year vet Christina on the front cover in a shot taken at Kissing Bridge Resort. The back cover features 2nd year vet Jaclyn in a photo taken on a yacht on Lake Erie.

All photos were taken by Jeff and Snjezana Fisher of Fisher Creative Image Photography, the official photographers of the Buffalo Jills! http://www.fishercreativeimage.com/

Pics from the 2011 BvB Kickoff Party and Bachelorette Auction

The newly re-designed SoHo Burger Bar on Chippewa played host to the 3rd Annual Blondes Vs Brunettes Kickoff party getting everyone ready for the upcoming game being played September 10th at Sweet Home High School. On hand for part of the evening were a pair of rookie Buffalo Jills. Ambassador Squad members Shannon and Rebecca spent their time there selling 50-50 raffle tickets and posing for photos with a few fans as well as a few Jills alumni. The goal of the BvB organization, which has chapters all over the nation, is to help fund the Alzheimer's Association working to find a cure for the disease. As in past years, the rosters have plenty of women who used to spend Sundays cheering on the Bills on the sidelines at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Some of them who've signed up are, unfortunately, going to be unable to play this year due to various reasons but with the larger rosters this year of around 50 as opposed to 30 will help make up for their absence.

Tammy, Amanda F, Danielle, and Christina(not playing)
There were a pair of added surprises as first I saw 2006 Jills alumnus Christina B there for the event as well as another Jills alumnus as a player I was unaware of, bringing the total number of Jills alumni to 9 for this year. Blondes co-captain and Jills and Bandettes alumnus introduced me to Desiree, who only spent the summer of 2005 with the Jills and will be suiting up for the blondes in September. Even after such a short time on the squad, she's still thought of as an alumnus after having made the squad that year and appearing at that year's Uniform Unveiling Ceremony when the Bills showed off their Throwback uniforms at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Desiree and Danielle
Something new this year was the Bachelorette Auction in which several of the BvB players were auctioned off as dates to the highest bidders. 2nd year BvB player and longtime Buffalo Jills alumnus Jenn was one of those players who brought in about $2000 collectively for the BvB Organization. Jenn's date package included, among other things, a helicopter ride over Niagara Falls. Besides the fact that the lucky winner got a date with Jenn, the package was valued at over $1000.

Jenn with the lucky winner

See all the pics at http://buffaloprocheerbuffalojills.shutterfly.com/pictures/26107

Coming up next, the Jills take the field at Ralph Wilson Stadium next Saturday night as the Bills host Paul Posluszny and the Jacksonville Jaguars in their annual Kid's Day preseason game. As part of the Kid's Day festivities that start at 3:30, you'll be able to meet members of the Buffalo Jills Ambassador Squad out in Lot C and see the Jr Jills join the the 2011 Buffalo Jills on the field for pregame.

The Blondes Vs Brunettes are now focused on practices leading up to the 3rd Annual Powderpuff football game coming up September 10th at Sweet Home High School in Amherst. Go to http://www.bvbbuffalo.com/ for all the details.

Buffalo Pro Cheer Photos of The Week

This week's Buffalo Jills Photo of The Week is from the Jills Golf Tourney and features rookies Kristina and Rebecca posing for a photo while the golfers were checking in. Kristina is a dancer on the squad this year and is big on nutrition and exercise. Rebecca joined the Ambassador Squad but also did a little bit of dancing as a Jill already. For the uniform unveiling, ambassadors were invited to perform in the ribbon dance during the actual unveiling of the Bills' new jerseys and Rebecca was the lone ambassador that took that opportunity, dancing next to Murissa and Jaclyn during the ceremony.

Our Bandettes photo is actually a photo of some classic Bandettes and Jills from the Swarm game in April. Nine Bandettes alumni joined the 2011 Bandettes in celebrating the 10th year of the Bandettes dance squad. Shown posing for the camera while greeting fans coming into the game are Tina, Melanie, Amanda F, and Jenn. Tina and Melanie each spent 4 years on the Bandettes as well as 3 with the Jills. Amanda and Jenn's times with the Bandettes was shorter but they are each staying in the public eye these days as 2nd year players in the Blondes Vs Brunettes game on September 10 at Sweet Home High School.

This week's featured BvB player is 2010 Buffalo Jills alumnus Meghan shown posing with her veteran buddy Courteney at last summer's Jills Open Practice. After being at the game selling raffle tickets last year, Meghan loved the idea of playing some football with other women with a great cause like fighting Alzheimer's behind it. Meghan made as big an impact as a Buffalo Jill as many girls make in several years and that goes beyond her top-ranking calendar sales with her on the cover. I'm not sure how to put that impact into words without it looking like I'm playing favorites, though. I've got good relationships with most of the girls who've been on the Jills or Bandettes since I started working closely with the squad, as well as a few from before 2005 as well. Even though I've known her for only about a year, Meghan ranks pretty highly among the Jills and alumni I've gotten to be friends with. That has less to do with her looks, as incredible as they are, and more to do with her personality and her work ethic. While she definitely enjoyed her time as a Jill, she never took it lightly and always did her best with whatever she was asked to do. Unfortunately, her busy schedule isn't going to allow her to play this year but you can still donate to the BvB through her at http://bvbbuffalo2011.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=475491&lis=1&kntae475491=2ECC788687CA4A67931FA8E680511618&supId=329617318 or any of the ladies involved at http://bvbbuffalo2011.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=475491&lis=1&kntae475491=D8784DC9CCD9403E89ED5AE4AC249250

The Jills at the 3rd Annual Nathan George Softball Tourney

There are various charitable foundations in Western NY that the Jills come out in support of. The Nathan George Foundation was established in 2009 in memory of a young man beloved by many in Dunkirk, NY who lost his life in a car accident. The purpose of The Nathan George Foundation is to support community & school sports organizations in need within Northern Chautauqua County as well as awarding annual scholarships to athletes. They annually hold a spaghetti dinner and a softball tournament in August to support their goals and this year, Emily and Bri of the Buffalo Jills were on hand to help with raffle tickets and pose for pictures.

Bri and Emily with a future Jill
It was a beautiful day for the well-attended tournament with teams from several states away entered into the tournament. Walking around with the girls while they sold raffle tickets, I found out something interesting about Bri's background which I'll share when either she or her sister Jessica get their Jill of The Week feature. Emily, in her 2nd year on the squad, is more excited about getting on the field August 27th than she was last year because she knows what to expect and isn't so nervous. As a vet, she's also developed a protective instinct for the rookies. While Bri was helping someone with their raffle tickets, a pop fly came out of the softball field next to us and when someone yelled for people to watch out, Emily reached over Bri to protect her head. Luckily the ball landed several yards away and no one was hurt. See all the pics at http://buffaloprocheerbuffalojills.shutterfly.com/pictures/25877 and find out more about the Nathan George Foundation at http://thenathangeorgefoundation.com/

Buffalo Pro Cheer Photos of The Week

Our Buffalo Jills Photo of The Week comes from the 9th Annual Buffalo Jills Golf Tournament and was taken before the golfers started showing up. Shown posing for a photo are rookies Briana and Jessica. Bri will be dancing this fall at the Ralph while Jessica will be on Keisha and Laura's Ambassador Squad. However, these two rookies still spend a lot of time together...they're sisters! When Jessica told her younger sister that she was going to try out, Bri decided to follow her lead. They're already showing some good teamwork as shown on the golf course. While Jessica was spending time with the golfers at the tee on the hole they were stationed at, Bri was talking with the golfers who were waiting to tee off, including letting them know how the hole was playing so far that day.

Our Bandettes pic, taken at the April game against Rochester, features 2nd year vets Chelsea and Ashley with rookie Jessica M. All 3 of these girls are known for doing a little extra to get on camera. Chelsea actively sought out the camera her rookie season while Ashley got on camera at a Bills game...winning a seat upgrade just a week after the big performance in Toronto. Jessica chose a different way to get a little attention....she joined 2nd year vet Lauren B in challenging Bandits strongman Brandon Francis to a wrestling match at the Bandits open practice.

Our BvB Player of The Week is 2nd year vet Jenn. Shown posing at the recent fundraiser held at Kronie's with fellow Jills alumni and BvB players Amanda F and Danielle, Jenn's time with the Jills was only topped by Omarlla and Eileen...Jenn put in 8 seasons on the sidelnes from 1997-2004 and obviously still looks fantastic. She also spent the 2002 NLL Season as a Buffalo Bandette and was one of the Bandettes alumni who performed with the 2011 squad in April for a special Bandettes anniversary pair of dances. Jenn is going to be doing something special this year for the BvB. The Kickoff party, to be held at SoHo on August 19th, is going to feature a Bachelorette auction where people can bid on dates with some of the BvB girls. Jenn has already put a lot of work into the date package that she's a part of and while I don't know the details of it, I have to imagine it will be a doozy. I don't know if any of the other alumni are going to auction themselves off but I have to think Jenn's going to get a lot of bids. This is the same girl who, while still on the Jills, was featured on WKBW as one of Buffalo's most eligible bachelorettes...and she didn't remain single for long after that aired. You can lend your support to the BvB through Jenn at http://bvbbuffalo2011.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=475491&lis=1&kntae475491=2ECC788687CA4A67931FA8E680511618&supId=330076173 or any of the BvB players and coaches at http://bvbbuffalo2011.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=475491&lis=1&kntae475491=3443A26BF2A841D18BBC7D6079D6085A

The Jills at 2011 Bills Training Camp Fan appreciation night

Saturday night was Fan Appreciation Night at Bills training camp in Pittsford, NY and the Bills couldn't very well show their appreciation to their fans very well without having some of the Buffalo Jills on hand. After making my way along the Thruway to Rochester, I met up with a buddy, who's actually contributed some photos to the Buffalo Pro Cheer Blog in the past, for dinner. We filled up on some great food at Pittsford Pub before heading over to catch the bus to camp.

Jami and Gina
Once we made it to camp, we found Jami and Gina just inside the door to the merchandise tent greeting fans and posing for photos. My buddy headed out to practice while I spent some time getting some photos and talking to the 2 young ladies who will be dancing at the Ralph for the 1st time on August 27th when the Bills play host to the Jaguars in their Kid's Day preseason game. Jami is a rookie with the squad this year while Gina moved to dance this year after having spent last year as the Rookie Ambassador of The Year.

Christina and Omarlla
After spending some time with them, I swung over to the other end of the tent where captains Christina and Omarlla were posing for photos and greeting fans. Neither one of these two ladies need any introduction as Christina has been on the squad for 6 years now and Omarlla is entering her 12th season. However, Omarlla is still having plenty of new experiences even in her 12th year. Last week was the 1st time she was actually out on the golf course for the Jills annual Golf Tourney as she's always been at the Tournament only for the dinnertime shift.
After getting some more photos of all the girls, I went in to catch some practice myself while some of the girls headed out at the end of their shift and others watched the practice themselves.
See all the pics at http://buffaloprocheerbuffalojills.shutterfly.com/pictures/25846
Next weekend is the 3rd Annual Nathan George Softball Tournament in Dunkirk and features an appearance by members of the Buffalo Jills. Go to http://www.97rock.com/calendar/Default.asp?eventid=614023 for details.
Also, DJ Jickster did make a short appearance at the 9th Annual Jills Golf Tourney on Monday and shot some video which he posted on 97Rock's website.

Finally, the dance team captain pairings have been announced for 2011 with 3 new co-captains. Joining Omarlla will be 5th year vet Lisa while Loren will be co-captaining Valerie's line. It won't be the 1st time they ran a line together as last season, when Omarlla missed a game to visit family out of town, Valerie and Loren teamed up to cover her line for her. Joining Christina as co-captain will be 2nd year vet Natalie, who's well-known for being the prospective rookie who blogged about her experiences trying out for her rookie season.

Buffalo Pro Cheer Photos of The Week

This week's Jills photo comes from the recent 9th Annual Buffalo Jills Golf Tournament and features a pair of rookies on the squad as they wait to hand out golf balls to the incoming golfers. Shown here are Beth and Jami. Obviously Beth is hardly your typical rookie after having spent several seasons with the Bandettes and was on the squad when they performed along with the 2010 Jills in Toronto last year. Hopefully the fact that she was performing when the Bandits last won a title will serve as a little bit of good luck to the Bills in 2011. Jami is a little more new to all this and so far, is loving the experiences she's had including practices and meeting fans at appearances. Just wait til she hits the field on August 27th and hears the roar of 72,000 screaming fans. She's also turning into a big fan of getting photographed and I'm sure she'll be looking forward to Mondays this fall after home games to get see more of her pictures from gamedays.

From the Bandettes, we feature another pair of rookies in Danielle and Krista in a photo taken prior to the Knighthawks game in April. Danielle is definitely the quieter of the two, having been content to soak in the experiences she was having as a Bandette. Krista loved the experiences as well but like her close friend Lauren B, who we looked at last week, is definitely not the quiet type.

From the BvB, we feature 2nd year vet Dana. Shown posing at last year's kickoff party with Christina and Lindsay of the Jills, she spent the bulk of the 2008 season dancing on Omarlla's line at the Ralph. She was the 1st 2008 rookie that we met as she came into the workshop with Jess and Stephanie, who were starting their 2nd seasons with the Jills. Dana almost never lacks a smile on her face but her eyes actually seem to sparkle a little when she's at her happiest. In addition to some really close friends, her family, including her brother, is her biggest support system. It's pretty rare that she's involved in something big without her family there by her side supporting her the whole way. You can donate to Dana at http://bvbbuffalo2011.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=475491&lis=1&kntae475491=2ECC788687CA4A67931FA8E680511618&supId=327874375 or any of the players at http://bvbbuffalo2011.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=475491&lis=1&kntae475491=2332284ED6AF46D6948A5C1BD6520165

Photos from the 9th Annual Buffalo Jills Golf Tournament

For the 9th year, the Buffalo Jills held a Golf Tournament to help with costs for the squad and returned to Williamsville's beautiful Westwood Country Club for the 2nd year in a row on August 1. I generally get to these events early to help Jills management set up and get some extra photos but by the time I got there, 6th year vet Christina and rookie Beth were already heavily involved in getting the raffle prizes set up with Kelli, Steph, and Nichole.

Beth and Christina
Before long, several more girls showed up to help out, including rookies Bri and Jessica, who happen to be sisters.

Briana and Jessica
Eventually the golfers started arriving and it was up to rookie Krystin and 4th year vet Murissa to direct them to the lots and to registration.

Krystin and Murissa
One of the cool features of the Buffalo Jills Golf Tournament every year is the chance to bid on a caddy for the day. Some of the Jills ride around the course with the golfers for the day. This year, 2nd year vets Emily and Sara and rookies Rebecca and Shannon signed up for that gig.

Emily, Sara, Rebecca, and Shannon
Some of the girls sold raffle tickets while golfers showed up and had lunch before heading out on the course. I took Murissa and 2nd year vet Natalie, Christina's new co-captain, out to the 6th hole where they ran the Longest Drive contest before stopping over at the dunk tank where Gabrielle, Valerie, and Lisa took turns as targets while Krystin and Kristina helped with photos and Ruby kept an eye on everyone's safety with her 1st aid skills.

Gabrielle, Valerie, and Lisa
After stopping to visit 2nd year vet Lindsey and rookie Jami for a little while at 17, I swung over to where 2nd year vets Morgan and Jaclyn, one of this year's covergirls, helped manage the "Double your money" contest where golfers could bet a sum of money that they could get on the green in one stroke.

Morgan and Jaclyn with Morgan's family
At the other end of the hole, taking bets from the golfers, was rookie dancer Jenny, who travels over 2 hours to practice each way, making other long drives seem short.

Emily and Jenny with some golfers including Emily's and Lindsey's boyfriends
After stopping by to visit Bri and Jessica for a while, it was off to hole 3 where Christina was managing the poker run with rookies Beth and Myesha but in the middle of the visit, the horn blew signaling some rough weather so we went back to the clubhouse to wait it out and grab a few quick photos. We also had a visit from 2nd year vet Jill, who wasn't able to do Flips for Tips this year because of 2 badly sprained ankles. She unfortunately won't be able to dance in the preseason, but we're all keeping our fingers crossed she'll be ready to display her incredible gymnastic abilities at the home opener September 18th.

Covergirls Christina and Jaclyn
Luckily, the cloudburst was a short one and after getting the girls back to hole 3, I stopped back over at the dunk tank area where the girls were getting refreshed and rookie Kelly and 2nd year vet Gina joined in the fun of posing for pics.

Kristina, Kelly, Gina, and Krystin with one of the golfers
After getting some of the girls back to the clubhouse when their shifts were done for the day, I stopped back over at 17 to see Lindsey and Jami again where they had the company of the beautiful Reena and I was there long enough to see Alyssa stop by, who had taken over for Melissa who had been a 5th caddy for the day before her shift ended.

Omarlla and Loren with Dr Shatkin of Aesthetic Associates and his group
My last stop on the course was to visit someone who's never been out on the course for the golf tourneys, 12th year vet Omarlla with 3rd year vet Loren. Omarlla's always been part of the dinner-time group only due to work but this year was able to come out a little earlier. After the last group came through, we went back to the clubhouse to get ready for dinner where several of the girls were already handing out raffle prizes.

Reena, Jami, Amanda F, Nicole, Courteney, and Amanda V
After dinner, 8 members of the Buffalo Jills put on a rousing dance performance for the appreciative golfers.

See all the pics at http://buffaloprocheerbuffalojills.shutterfly.com/pictures/25713