Music, dancing, tumbling and shouting were the order of the day Saturday as Marshwood High School hosted Cheers from the Heart, an annual cheerleading competition and fundraiser.

The event, started by Wells High School cheering coach Sybil Coombs in 1999, was spread over two days and four sites this year. At Marshwood, a total of 37 squads participated.

One of those teams was from Bonny Eagle Middle School. Coach Alicia Gerrish, who cheered for the Scots varsity squad last year, said her girls have done “an amazing job.”

“This year we’ve worked really hard and it’s exciting for them to come here and have fun,” said Gerrish. “We love coming here because it’s for charity.”

Ashlyn Ramsay, a BEMS seventh-grader, said that being part of Cheers from the Heart was “really exciting.” She enjoys cheering because she “learns a little more every year.”

Windham High School freshman Erin Durkan said that she enjoys “competing and seeing the other teams that you’re up against.”

Durkan and the rest of the Eagles JV squad were also among the cheerleaders participating Saturday. Her coach, Leigh-Anne Dalton, is no stranger to the event.

“I was a cheerleader at Windham for four years and I’ve coached for four years, and we always come here for Cheers from the Heart,” Dalton said. “The girls have a great time and they’re such good kids.”

The event raises money that is donated to area charities, including the Maine Children’s Cancer Program, Camp Sunshine, Seeds of Peace and the March of Dimes. Coombs said the goal for this year was to contribute $10,000 from the proceeds.