Royceann Porter compares herself to the Energizer Bunny. She keeps going, and going, and going ...

A wife and mother of two girls and caretaker of two boys, she is a dedicated volunteer of the Salvation Army, trustee member of the Greater Iowa City Housing Fellowship, and recently put together a drill team to give kids something positive thing to do.

"Ever since I had two girls, their birthday parties have attracted a lot of kids, and I noticed that the kids would get together and dance. So I thought to myself, 'We're going to have put that to work,'" she said.

In August, Porter invited boys and girls from grades K-12 to participate in a drill team. So far, there are 38 dancers on the team.

Porter admitted that the combination of teenage angst and adolescent temperament sometimes causes "yelling, screaming . and attitudes flying together."

But at the end of the day, seeing the positive effect that being part of a team has on the kids makes the headaches all worth it, she said.

"They call me all the time, they even perform our routines during their school dances. If we go a week without practice, they'll be calling me to ask when practice is," Porter said.

The team had its first performance Nov. 5 at City High, and Porter hopes there will be more invitations to perform. She also has a grander ambition, which is to enter her team in the state dance competition in July.

The reason behind creating a drill team was to give kids a positive activity to do after school. Also, Porter said she is a people-person and always has enjoyed helping others.

For that reason, she has been a volunteer at the Salvation Army for seven years and is a member of the Salvation Church. Last year, she created the Sisterhood as a way to bond with other women from different church congregations.

"I like to go forward with a positive attitude," she said. "They all act like I'm doing a great big thing, but it's nothing."

- Hieu Pham