Gator Gymnastics Harvest Food Drive: Good Fun for a Good Cause
Sunday, November 15, 2009 | Gymnastics
By Nicole Greiner
The gymnastics studio at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center was resounding with squeals of laughter Sunday as about 30 young girls scrambled through the doors of Gate 4, anxious to train with the UF gymnastics team for their annual Harvest Food Drive.
With an entrance fee of five non-perishable food items, the girls got to practice drills on the gymnastics equipment with the team and the coaching staff for an hour and a half.
Over 275 pounds of food was collected at the door and donated to the Bread of the Mighty Food Bank just in time to help out needy families for Thanksgiving.
Head Gymnastics Coach Rhonda Faehn said, “It's important that we do anything we can to give back to not only Gainesville but to people who are less fortunate than us.”
She said it's important for the athletes to see first hand what kind of a difference they can make in people's lives.
“It's a great experience on both sides. I know our athletes love doing it,” she said.
Six stations were set-up throughout the gym with a UF gymnast posted at each one to help coach the young girls.
Girls lined up to swing on the bars, jump on the trampoline, balance on the beam, do obstacles on the floor, sway on the rope swing, and tumble down the tumble track.
Six-year-old Emery Warm said her favorite gymnast is senior Amanda Castillo because she's really pretty and a really good gymnast.
“I like the trampoline the best,” she exclaimed through her 100-watt smile.
Emery and her two sisters, Ellis and Erin, have been in gymnastics since before they were 2 years old.
Their mom, Kelly Warm, said this is their second year to attend the Harvest Food Drive in addition to attending several gymnastics meets throughout the season.
“We just feel like it's a good opportunity for them to get to do something that most kids don't normally get to do,” she said. “You know, hang out with the college gymnasts.”
She said her daughters really look up to the gymnasts as role models so it's really neat for them to be able to feel more of a personal connection with them.
Junior gymnast Alicia Goodwin was stationed at the balance beam to help the girls walk down and do jumps off.
“It's always fun coaching,” she said. “I love to coach and help the little kids have fun with gym.”
She said one girl fell in a straddle on the beam but got right back up.
“I high-fived her so she wouldn't cry,” Goodwin said.
After the drills, the girls were able to get pictures and autographs from their favorite gymnasts.
At the wrap-up of the event all the girls and the team posed for a picture doing the Gator chomp in front of the Florida gymnastics sign.
