Rachael Behm is happiest at the top of a cheerleading pyramid. She fires up crowds by executing acrobatic stunts with Upper Perkiomen's cheerleading team. 

 "I just want to cheer," said the 4-foot-11 Behm.

            However, a reoccurrence of her cancer will keep Behm on the ground when school resumes later this month.

            On September 10, she will commence a one month stay at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia to undergo a final round of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant to treat her large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Behm, 16, expects to miss six months of her junior year at the school while she recovers, according to her mother Rian Andree.

            All Behm, who participated with the team during her sophomore year at the school, wants is to return to cheering. Andree said her daughter's upbeat personality and faith in God will allow her to overcome this hurdle.  "It's a little bump in the road," said Andre, who lives in Upper Hanover. "Rachael understands that life continues, even though she is going through this."

On Saturday, the Upper Perkiomen Indians Youth and Cheer organization hosted an NFL Youth Combine and Punt, Pass and Kick competition for students from kindergarten to 10^th grade at the high school football stadium.  The top three competitors in five co-ed classes each received an award. Participants who paid a $10 registration fee competed at eight stations in events that included the tire flip, long jump, high jump, sprinting and sled pushing, according to Jennifer Moran, a member of the local organization's board of directors in charge of fundraising.

            Behm, wearing a knitted cap emblazoned with the phrase "Love your Melon," posed for photos on the mid field logo with friends, organization members and competition participants.

All proceeds benefitted Behm and her family. Sixty one children registered for the event, which included a raffle and specially designed T-shirts, according to Moran.

She said the goal of the organization is to connect with the community. Moran said it welcomed the opportunity to help Behm and her family.

"Rachael is a beautiful girl young girl with the prettiest smile," Moran said. "And she is a real fighter."

            According to Andree, Behm's cancer had been in remission for 29 months before a May X-ray revealed cancer masses in the lymph nodes in her chest and a small amount of cells in her left lung.

            Behm has the drive to overcome the most recent discovery, according to her mother, who added that cheerleading coach Kristen Funk will allow her daughter to participate in team activities as her health allows.

            "If you didn't notice that Rachael has lost her hair, noting about her appearance and demeanor has changed," Andree said. "Her smile is exactly the same."

            A check for slightly more than $1,000 will be presented to Behm and her family, according to Moran. According to Andree, the money will help defray the cost of traveling to hospitals and clinics, meals and other ancillary expenses. She said her husband's health insurance covers 90 percent of Behm's medical bills.

            "It's really humbling to see the whole community come together, especially to see the entire cheering community," Andree said.