Gator Student-Athletes host 9th Annual Climb for Cancer
Sunday, September 28, 2014 | Women's Basketball
The treatments causing the bald heads or surgery scars were far from the thoughts of the 80 children at the University of Florida athletic facilities Saturday morning.
Today the focus was sharing the fun of sports. The 150 Gator student-athletes who served as Climb for Cancer counselors were there to ensure that goal.
The treatments causing the bald heads or surgery scars were far from the thoughts of the 80 children at the University of Florida athletic facilities Saturday morning.
Today the focus was sharing the fun of sports. The 150 Gator student-athletes who served as Climb for Cancer counselors were there to ensure that goal.
Goal accomplished, according to four-year-old Contrell Graham of Gainesville.
He recalled all the different sports he participated in today – basketball, soccer, lacrosse. He even held a cup of Gatorade for Loosey, Gator soccer coach Becky Burleigh's dog, to lap.
It was a big day for Graham, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment at UF Health Shands Hospital for a brain tumor which was diagnosed at age one and a half.
“I had fun today,” he said. “I liked meeting the Gators.”
Ron Farb organizes the event each year through his Climb for Cancer Foundation, which raises money to help the families of children with cancer. Today was the ninth annual for the event which brings together children undergoing cancer treatment with Gator student-athletes.
“These children climb Mount Everest every day of their lives. Just to give them a chance to forget about their illness for a few hours and come out here and have fun is so important,” Farb said. “Each year, we look forward to it very much.”
Ron and his wife Dianne aren't the only ones who look forward to the event.
Six-year-old Desi Garrison of Port Orange, Florida, has her leukemia treatments at Orlando's Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. The leukemia, which was diagnosed last September, is currently in remission. Allman is making plans to come back to the 2015 Climb for Cancer edition.
“We played football, soccer and basketball,” Allman said. “Playing soccer with the athletes was fun.”
Women's basketball freshman Isis Young wholeheartedly agreed.
Today was awesome. I absolutely love the idea of Climb for Cancer,” Young said. “It was great interacting with the kids and other athletes on a different level. One thing today reminded is to never take anything for granted - whether that is family, sports, school, etc. Those kids demonstrated a great attitude of positivity throughout every situation. It really is a beautiful thing. I really enjoyed playing lacrosse. It allowed the kids to laugh at me as well as me laughing at myself. And what it is better than that!”
Holly Garrison brought Desi's step-brother Gage Garrison from Winter Park to join his sister for the morning of fun with the Gator student-athletes.
“I am so impressed with the Gators' strength, grace and kindness. They are not on their phones. They are present. They are all having a great time with the kids,” Garrison said. “This is such a beautiful event. All day I just find myself smiling.”
The children and their parents weren't the only ones who wore a smile.
“I loved it!! Just being a small part of those kids lives is a humbling experience, and I really just enjoyed seeing the kids smiling and having fun - Not having a care in the world!” freshman Haley Lorenzen shared. “I loved picking them up and letting them dunk a basket on the smaller hoops and helping them come out of their shells. Those kids just made me smile.”
The event made an impact on freshman Brooke Copeland.
“Climb for Cancer was such an incredible experience for me,” Copeland explained. “I love kids, so when I first found out we were going to be volunteering for this event I was ecstatic, but I had no idea it would impact me as much as it did. Seeing kids that have battled and are still battling cancer with smiles on their faces and not a care in the world was so humbling for me. I can't even fathom how much these kids have been through already in their life, but to think I brought a little sunshine to it is incredible because I know they brought a whole lot to mine.”
Complete Gatorzone PHOTO GALLERY: http://www.gatorzone.com/gallery/?gallery_id=2827
UFGivesBack ItsGreatUF GoodwillGators GatorGood
The Climb for Cancer Foundation:
https://www.facebook.com/climbforcancer1
http://www.cfc-foundation.org
