MISSOULA — You might have seen a parade of motorcycles driving down Broadway in Missoula.
The caravan, organized by a cheerleader, spent Friday morning lending a hand to those who are experiencing homelessness.
Leather jackets, motorcycles, a cheerleader with pom-poms kind of seems like an unlikely gathering, but that is exactly what happened in downtown Missoula.
When Ava Gainan put on her cheer bow, she did more than a toe touch -- she started touching lives.
She noticed a need to serve the Missoula houseless population, so the Montana native decided to make an impact by putting together hygiene bags.
Each bag is filled with biodegradable floss, shampoo, body wash, toothbrushes, and other goodies.
"Basically our mission is to cheer up the world that way people are happy and not gloomy and sad,” Ava said.
“I wanted to help out and give back to them by giving them some hygiene bags with water, that way they could stay somewhat healthy," she told MTN News.
Ava saw a need in her own community after seeing a nationally run cheer-based organization, called Project Cheer Up.
So, she partnered with Missoula’s Bikers Against Bullies (BAB) to give out the bags in front of the Missoula County Courthouse.
Ava’s mom, Misti -- who doubles as the Montana Project Cheer Up president -- has helped Ava with the project.
Misti used her stimulus check to provide the funds to buy the hygiene products in the bags.
"When we got the stimulus money, I didn't want to get anything for myself. Eva and I went and got stuff from like the Dollar Store and we met up with the Bikers Against Bullies and went that way,” Misti said.
“I didn't need the money, someone else could use it."
