Sharing the spirit of the community since 1980.

Since 1980, CHEER San Francisco — the Official Cheer Team of the City and County of San Francisco — has been dedicated to improving the lives of people living with life-challenging conditions in the communities we serve.

Our programs deliver true people-powered community engagement and fundraising in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Our volunteers perform at and brighten numerous events throughout the year — including festivals, parades, community gatherings and private events — connecting with thousands of individuals to entertain, inspire and activate.

The world’s first LGBTQ-identified cheerleading team, CHEER San Francisco was originally founded in 1980 as the Hayward Raw Rahs. In 1990, the name was changed to the Bay Area Raw Rahs — and in 1996 the team became known as CHEER San Francisco.

 In 1993, CHEER SF became a performing unit of San Francisco’s Jon Sims Center for the Performing Arts, thus establishing ourselves as an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In 2004, CHEER SF proudly began doing business as a standalone nonprofit: the CHEER For Life Foundation, Inc. The CHEER For Life platform has become the organization’s primary focus, turning amazing performances into a means of providing support to organizations that provide services to individuals and families facing life-threatening challenges in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.