EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE: The Gift of GiRL

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — They practiced. They performed. They inspired.  They are the Gift of GiRL and our Extraordinary Person of the Week is the woman who continues to make it all happen!

They spent hour after hour practicing for the moment and what a moment it turned out to be!

“I was like, I can’t believe it finally happened,” Cassandra McNeil told Daniel Seamans.

The ‘Gifted in Rhythm and Life‘ dancers performed at the Charlotte Hornets game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s a memory made possible by Cassandra McNeil and her non-profit, GiRL.

“I was sitting at home,” Cassandra said, “and I was like, gosh, I would like to have a dance program for my daughter that encompassed mentoring, community service.”

So she created it.  “I wanted to make sure it’s affordable, I wanted to be sure it was an opportunity for young girls whether they have financial means or family support,” she said.

Cassandra is helping girls in the community see their potential on a dance floor and in life.

“They get sisterhood, they get the opportunity to come to a safe space where they can come and meet new friends and be developed. They get structure, exercise, discipline, they see someone doing it and say okay, I can do that now. So that helps build confidence,” Cassandra continued.

Confidence….like what it takes to wow the crowd in Charlotte.

“To see them go from that starting point to saying Mrs, Cassandra, look what I can do. That’s inspiring,” she said of watching the girls grow inside and out.   It’s not hard to see that everyone involved with Gifted in Rhythm and Life is inspired.

“We’re always looking for opportunities for the girls to dance, they love to perform, but they also like to volunteer,” Cassandra said. “We’re always looking for ways to cultivate our girls development.”

She is developing some serious fun for everyone! Cassandra McNeil, you are most definitely gifted in rhythm and life. and that makes you…Extraordinary!

GiRL’s mission is made possible by a number of businesses in the community.

For more information, check out their Facebook page!