2010 Harvest Food Drive a Success
Tuesday, November 9, 2010 | Gymnastics
In one corner of the room, a tiny girl stood tall on a balance beam, coached carefully by UF Gymnastics Head Coach Rhonda Faehn. On another side of the room, other young girls were cartwheeling on floor mats with encouragement from UF gymnasts. Nearby, nine little girls stood in a line, dressed in smiles and flashy leotards, eagerly awaiting their chance on the springboard. “I had a competition yesterday!” one said excitedly. “I'm a gymnast,” said another, waving her hands around.
About 70 young gymnasts turned out to tumble and twirl with the UF Gymnastics team for the annual Harvest Food Drive in the Ted Crom Gymnastics Studio located inside the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on Sunday. With an entrance fee of five non-perishable food items for each participant, the team gathered 449 pounds of food for the Bread of the Mighty food bank.
“Every year I just love this event. It's been wonderful,” Faehn said. “I think this is our highest turnout yet, and it's for an amazing cause. We get to give back to the community and they get to interact one on one with the team.”
Members of the team were stationed in several areas to teach the girls basic gymnastics skills on everything from the balance beams to the tumble track. Most of the participants were young, beginning-level gymnasts.
“I love seeing the smiles on their faces when they learn something or do something they've never done before,” said senior gymnast Alicia Goodwin. She and assistant coach Adrian Burde were stationed on the floor mats to teach the girls basic cartwheel and handstand drills.
After the drills, 11-year-old Britney and 7-year-old Natalie waited patiently to take a picture with Alicia, their favorite gymnast.
“She's really good and cool,” they said excitedly.
Their mom, Denise Beerbower, agreed.
“I think the team is great. They're so supportive, upbeat and positive,” Beerbower said. She brought Britney, a Level 5 competitive gymnast, and Natalie, a beginner gymnast, so the girls could practice their skills and spend time with their role models. “My kids look up to them, so when they give positive feedback, it just helps to build their ego.”
Faehn was proud of her team for taking the time to work with each participant while giving back to the community.
“It's so important for the team to give back, and to learn and understand what roles they play in the community. They are role models to these girls,” she said.
For members of the gymnastics team like Godwin and senior Maranda Smith, their Sunday afternoon was time was well-spent.
“It's fun to bring a smile to their faces. We focus on competitions throughout the entire season, so when we're not competing, it's nice to be able to interact with the people who are our biggest fans at the meets,” Smith said. “And with the holidays coming, it's really nice to be able to donate cans of food to people who may not have a lot.”
By Mara Rudolph – UF Communications
