Being on the cheerleading squad isn’t all high kicks and pyramids.

When Leah Kluemper’s cheerleading coach called for a special meeting following the UNLV football game, she knew something was going on.

“She gathered us all around, and once we were quiet, she told us that the producers at the TV show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” wanted us to come and cheer on the builders during the production of the show,” said Kluemper, freshman in hotel and restaurant management. “We were so excited.”

The hit ABC reality show enlists volunteers to build a new home – and ultimately a new life – for struggling families around the country.

The show visited the small town of Gladbrook to help rebuild a house and farm for the Kibe family, who lost their home last December in a fire.

“Hearing that we were going to be able to be a part of helping this family was amazing,” Kluemper said.

Both the ISU cheer and dance squads were invited to cheer for the builders Friday.

“It was really fun since the [University of] Iowa cheer squad was there too,” said Brittany Wyeno, sophomore in pre-advertising. “There was a lot of energy between the two squads, especially since we played Iowa the next day.”

Wyeno said the experience kept her motivated throughout the day.

“The entire experience was breathtaking,” she said. “There were so many people there, and I was amazed at how many people were willing to put aside their lives for a week to help this family.”

The Kibes, a family of five, were living in a one-room trailer on their property after their home burned down a few days before Christmas. Their three sons had been sleeping in tents outside the trailer because the space was so small.

Their new home is a two-story, plantation-style home with black shutters and porches on the first and second floors.

“The house was absolutely beautiful,” Kluemper said. “I can’t believe they were able to build something so amazing in just one week.”

Several hundred volunteers helped with planning, building and decorating the home. The makeover team also brought in cattle to fill the new barn that was built on the Kibe’s four acres of land.

The entire home and barn took 93 hours to complete – a project that usually takes three to four months to finish.

“We were all so happy that we could be a part of such a great experience,” Wyeno said. “A chance to be involved with something like that doesn’t come along very often.”

The show is expected to air in November.