My last blog was about our trip to Denver. Well, I was so busy talking about Gina and Cassie’s baby, (hahaha, see last blog…), I forgot to mention one of the best parts of the whole trip! Cassie’s family lives in Boulder, Colorado, and so on the first night, our whole team was invited to have dinner at Cassie’s family’s house! It was so much fun going. The suburbs where they live are beautiful, and the house is beautiful, on the outside and the inside. We ate delicious lasagna, had salad and sushi, and ate pie. Cassie’s older sister, Carly (sorry if I spelled that wrong) taught us a game kind of like pictionary that we played for probably forty five minutes. Overall, it was amazing. Thank you, Lacey family!
Our team’s next adventure was the next weekend in Houston, Texas. Our games were being played at University of St. Thomas. They were having all kinds of activities on campus that weekend, including family weekend (where they were serving free sno cones…yippee!!) and Dig Pink, (which we also hosted a couple days ago… I’m getting to that part!) We lost, but it was a pretty good weekend overall.
The coolest elevator EVER! Our hotel was bomb and even served snacks. Muaahaahaa.
The Galleria is the biggest mall ever… the candy store was HUGE! And there was even an ice skating rink on the bottom floor! Exhibit A:
Our most recent competition was on Tuesday, when Embry-Riddle hosted the Dig Pink match to help raise awareness about cancer. Teamed up with the Side Out Foundation, an organization that supports breast cancer research, Embry-Riddle and Yavapai College played a match to help. There was a silent auction, cake, a chance to write a loved one’s name on a T-shirt and hang it up on the Activity Center’s wall, whether they are a survivor, still battling or in loving memory. The stands were filled with pink T-shirts and ribbons, and people who came to support the cause. It was truly amazing to see that much support all in one place.
Our picture that was on the advertisement for the game….us short kids are in the back somewhere… trying to be serious, which was a difficult task indeed!
My Grandma Marilyn, my Aunt Carolyn, my Aunt Chickie and my friend and role model Sylvia Porter were all named on the program as fighters who battled the opponent named cancer. Some have won the battle, some have not, and this page was dedicated to those who battled and who still are battling.
Even the teams competing wore pink T-shirts with sayings on them to show support. It was a great experience to be a part of. And on top of all that good stuff, it was a great game to watch! We played hard, they played hard, and it was a great match. We ended up going into five games, with ERAU winning the first two 25-23 and YC winning the next three. Despite the outcome, I was proud of our performance. We were a team. And considering the cause, it was just a great night to compete and show our love for those who are having another kind of competition.
Tomorrow we leave for Tucson to play our last game against Pima Community College, and after Tuesday, seeing so many who have been effected by cancer, I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to play, to do what I love for just one more day. What a beautiful thought.
“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”
-Ashley Smith
