CHAMPAIGN — Cheerleaders from the High School of St. Thomas More are en route to their first bowl game — a Florida trip powered by flamingos.

In this case, pink ones. When submarine sandwich magnate Jimmy John Liautaud comes home to Champaign to his Armory Avenue manse, he'll find a couple dozen of them, and a note that says "You've been flocked."

A friend paid $50 for "the service," cheerleader coach Nancy Dankle said. Pink flamingos, T-shirts, cakes and cheerleader calendars are among the fundraising tools for the cheerleaders.

A release about the effort is on the school's website at http://www.hs-stm.org/index.php/stm_news/detail/3207/.

"We can still use a few more donations," Dankle said, a day before the troupe was to leave from Bloomington.

The cheerleaders will perform at the pre-game show at the Capital One bowl game Jan. 2 in Orlando, Fla. The St. Thomas More squad qualified to perform at the pre-game show based on first-place finishes in its class during Universal Cheerleaders Association summer camps in Bloomington in July, Dankle said.

Led by captains Taylor Ehler and Zoe Kaler, the cheerleaders have worked most of the year to raise funds, mainly through a 2012 calendar featuring the squad performing stunts, jumps and cheers.

In the top non-BCS bowl game, the SEC's South Carolina Gamecocks and the Big Ten's Nebraska Cornhuskers kick off at 1 p.m. Monday from Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando.

The game will be televised nationally by ESPN, but the STM cheerleaders aren't expecting any face time.

Co-captain Kaler said a Lady Gaga song as well as country-western performances, are done before the game, and not expected to be in the show.

"I'm really excited that such a small little school will be out in front of all these people," she said, referring to an expected 70,000 attendees.

Ehler said she's "incredibly excited" to be making the trip and sharing an audience with 1,500 of the nation's top cheerleaders and dancers.

They've been practicing for hours, even while studying for finals, as well as continuing to cheer at St. Thomas More basketball games.

They'll participate in a Welcome to the SEC and the Big Ten, and then watch the game.

"I hope Nebraska wins. I'm all for the Big Ten," Dankle said.

From St. Thomas More, 11 cheerleaders and four parents are making the trip, Dankle said, adding that they have the love and support of the rest of the squad.

They will leave Orlando on Jan. 3.

The group has thus far raised about $3,000 from flocking and other activities, and is still short $3,000, the coach said.