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 [email protected] .