But the Gator gymnasts had plans for their Saturday morning.
First, it was off to weight lifting at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Then after a quick change, the gymnasts were off to join many other Gator student-athletes at a different kind of lifting event.
The student-athletes met at Florida’s Indoor Practice Facility to start the morning of fun at Climb for Cancer. This event, now in its 17th year, is a chance for children who are undergoing cancer treatment or cancer survivors to meet at UF’s athletic facilities to play games and sports with the Gator student-athletes.
The event welcomes those facing cancer and their siblings. Desi Garrison, a 16-year from Port Orange, Fla., was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013 and got to ring the all clear bell in 2015. She attended her first Climb for Cancer in 2014 and now it is a must-do fall event for the Garrison family. Joining Garrison today was her younger brothers Graham (7), Gray (9) and Grant (11).
“I like to see that they still do this event for survivors,” Garrison said. “In addition to the survivors still being invited, I can bring my little brothers, because honestly, they enjoy doing the sports more than I do. It’s fun to see them enjoy it.”
Ron and Dianne Farb co-founded Climb for Cancer in 2003. The patient-center foundation looks to alleviate the financial, emotional and spiritual burdens that cancer places on families. Today’s event fits the foundation’s mission.
“We look for underserved needs that the big guys don’t get down to and we try to make an immediate impact on the lives of the families,” Ron Farb said. “This is our favorite day because it’s a day where the children can forget about their cancer. It’s a day where the siblings can finally get some attention and it’s a day that the student athletes get to have fun with the kids and realize how important community service is. We hope Climb for Cancer events with the Gators will go on for years and years.”
Any chance for children to put their cancer concerns and treatments aside for some fun and laughter is just what the doctor ordered. Dr. John Ligon, a pediatric oncologist at UFs College of Medicine, had been to other events by the foundation, but today was his first Gator Athletics Climb for Cancer morning.
“You can’t measure the impact that this has on the kids, because for them, it’s been just days and weeks and sometimes months of kind of being stuck, thinking about cancer, thinking about treatment, thinking about being far from home at the hospital,” Ligon said after Saturday’s event. “Getting a chance to come out and see that everybody is here to support you and that you’re able to just run around and be a kid. It touches the patient’s lives so much. I think they really need that when they’re going through the difficult part of treatment.”
For the Gator gymnasts, it was worthwhile addition to their Saturday morning.
Junior Lori Brubach played several sports with the kids – basketball, volleyball and soccer – plus some duck, duck, goose. “It was fun and rewarding just to see them smile and have fun,” Brubach said.
“It’s just a great way to spend our day off,” Gator All-American Leanne Wong said. “These kids are battling illnesses and cancer so anything we can do help them have fun and forget about that is a great Saturday morning.”
