Local former Dolphins cheerleader recounts special memories

M
IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU
Local former Dolphins cheerleader
recounts special memories
By Kelly Merritt
Wendy Happeny has a colorful
sports history. The Southwest
Florida resident was a Miami
2
m
a
e
T
Dolphins football cheerleader not
o
G
long after the team was established.
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T
here
herewere
wereonly
onlyeight
eightto
to10
10girls
girlsat
atthe
thetime,
time,aagroup
groupof
offriends
friendswho
whogrew
grewup
upcheerleading
cheerleading
together.
together.Happeny’s
Happeny’sfriend
friendBetty
BettyWilson’s
Wilson’sdad
dadhad
hadaamanagement
managementposition
positionat
atthe
theOrange
Orange
Bowl
Bowlin
inMiami
Miamiwhere
wherethe
theDolphins
Dolphinsplayed.
played.
“Somehow
“SomehowBetty’s
Betty’sdad
dadput
puttogether
togetherthe
thegroup
groupof
ofgirls
girlsand
andwe
wewore
woresweater
sweatervests,
vests,bobby
bobby
socks,
socks,skirts
skirtsand
andsaddle
saddleshoes
shoes––even
evenin
inthe
theAugust
Augustheat
heatin
inthe
theOrange
OrangeBowl,
Bowl,””says
saysHappeny,
Happeny,
who
whocheered
cheeredin
inthe
the1968
1968and
and1969
1969seasons.
seasons.“Back
“Backthen
then the
theDolphins
Dolphinsdidn’t
didn’twin
winvery
verymany
many
games
gamesas
asititwas
wasbefore
beforetheir
theirglory
gloryyears.”
years.”
Happeny
Happenycheered
cheeredfor
forthe
theDolphins
Dolphinsjust
justaashort
shorttime
timeafter
afterDolphins
Dolphinsfootball
footballbegan
beganin
in1966.
1966.She
Sherecalls
recallsthe
the
contest
contestto
toname
namethe
theteam.
team.
“My
“Mygrandfather
grandfathersent
sentin
inIIdon’t
don’tknow
knowhow
howmany
manyentries
entriesand
andthe
thefirst
firstseason
seasonwas
wasin
in
1967,
1967,””she
shesays.
says.An
Animportant
importantdistinction,
distinction,Happeny
Happenysays,
says,isisthat
thather
herteammates
teammatesand
andshe
she
were
werecheerleaders,
cheerleaders,not
notto
tobe
beconfused
confusedwith
withthe
theDolphins
DolphinsDolls.
Dolls.“At
“Atthat
thattime
timethere
therewere
were
only
onlyten
tenof
ofus
uswho
whowere
wereDolphin
Dolphincheerleaders,
cheerleaders,while
whilethe
theDolphin
DolphinDolls
Dollswere
wereaagroup
groupof
of
baton
batontwirlers
twirlersand
anddancers
dancerswho
whoperformed
performedat
athalftime.”
halftime.”
Happeny
Happenygraduated
graduatedNorth
NorthMiami
MiamiSenior
SeniorHigh
HighSchool
Schoolin
in1970
1970and
andwent
wenton
onto
to
attend
attendcollege
collegeat
atFlorida
FloridaInternational
InternationalUniversity.
University.She
Shealso
alsoattended
attendedthe
theUniversity
Universityof
ofthe
the
Americas
Americasin
inMexico
Mexico––aaconnection
connectionfostered
fosteredby
byher
hermother
motherwho
whotaught
taughtSpanish
Spanishand
andtook
took
groups
groupsof
ofstudents
studentsto
toMexico
Mexicofor
forsix
sixweeks
weeksto
tostudy
studythe
thelanguage.
language.Happeny
Happenygot
gotto
totake
take
classes
classesso
soshe
shespent
spentsix
sixsummers
summersin
inMexico.
Mexico.
“I
“Iintended
intendedto
toteach
teachSpanish
Spanishbut
butactually
actuallyyears
yearslater,
later,IIwound
woundup
upvolunteering
volunteeringfor
forthe
the
Literacy
LiteracyVolunteers
Volunteersof
ofCollier
CollierCounty
Countyteaching
teachingEnglish
Englishto
toSpanish
Spanishspeaking
speakingpeople,
people,””she
she
says.
says.The
TheDolphins
Dolphinsfootball
footballplayers
playersdid
didfundraising
fundraisingwork
workin
inthe
thecommunity
communityand
andHappeny
Happeny
and
andthe
theother
othercheerleaders
cheerleadersgot
gotto
toattend
attendcommunity
communitybasketball
basketballgames
gameswhere
wherethe
theDolphins
played
Dolphins
against
played
local
against
policemen,
local policemen,
all for charity.
all for
Happeny
charity.also
Happeny
got to also
be on
gottelevision,
to be on in
television,
Tampa when
in Tampa
Tampawhen
was trying
Tampa
to was
bring
trying
the Buccaneers
to bring theto play
at
Buccaneers
the stadium.
to play
Theat
city
thebuilt
stadium.
the stadium
The cityfirst
built
and brought
the stadium
the Baltimore
first and brought
Colts down
the to
play
Baltimore
the Dolphins.
Colts down to play the
Dolphins.
“It was the only time we were ever
on television
“It was the
butonly
backtime
thenwe
it were
was the
everera
on
with
television
famous Dolphin
but back players
then it was
like the
Mercury
era
with
Morris,
famous
LarryDolphin
Csonka players
and quarterback
like Mercury
BobMorris,
Griese,”Larry
she
Csonka
says fondly
andofquarterback
the team she
Bob
cheered
Griese,
on.
” she
“Our
sayspayment
fondly ofwas
thefree
team
she
parking
cheered
andon.
a coke
“Our
at payment
halftime.”was free parking and a coke at halftime.”
Happeny still has her megaphone and uniform which still fits. Back then she
spelled
spelledher
hername
namewith
withan
an“I”
“I”on
onthe
themegaphone.
megaphone.
“We
“Wewere
werehigh
highschool
schoolgirls
girlsand
andwe
wethought
thoughtthat
thatwas
wascool,
cool,””says
saysHappeny,
Happeny,whose
whose
husband
husbandisisproud
proudof
ofhaving
havingaaMiami
MiamiDolphins
Dolphinscheerleader
cheerleaderas
ashis
hiswife.
wife.Happeny
Happenymoved
movedto
to
Marco
MarcoIsland
Islandin
in1973
1973and
andeventually
eventuallybegan
beganworking
workingin
inreal
realestate
estatein
in1987.
1987.Today
Today
Happeny
Happenyspends
spendsher
hertime
timecheering
cheeringfor
foraadifferent
differentlineup.
lineup.She
Shecurrently
currentlyworks
worksat
atReMax
ReMax
Affinity
AffinityPlus
PlusRealty
Realtyon
onthe
theCaruso
Carusoreal
realestate
estateteam.
team.n
n
2
m
a
e
T
Go
12 |
Marco | FEBRUARY
“We were high school girls
and we thought that was cool...”
Wendy Happeny, of Marco Island, displays her Miami Dolphins cheerleading uniform.
The real estate agent is proud that her uniform still fits and has been known to wear
it on Halloween.
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