Vicky Graff Photo
For about 25 years Jennifer and Doug Mynear have made sure to keep the Joy Cart filled with toys to give to patients at Kentucky Children’s Hospital in Lexington to honor the legacy of their son, Jarrett, who was diagnosed at age 2 with an aggressive bone cancer and spent most of his life in and out of various hospitals and clinics.
During a hospital stay in Seattle, Jarrett had volunteers come by his room with a cart full of toys. Jarrett thought patients at Kentucky Children’s Hospital could benefit from the same service and the Joy Cart was started.
Kentucky gymnasts Sharon Lee, Delaynee Rodriguez and Creslyn Brose, all juniors, spent time at Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Leestown Rd. location on Saturday at a Christmas Toy Drive for Jarrett’s Joy Cart. All three gymnasts are from out of state but welcomed the chance to help.
“Last year we got to help out with the actual toy drive at the hospital. This year we got to go help collect toys. We had fans coming in to bring toys and it was a great way for us all to give back to the community,” Lee said.
“Our class is just really close and we love to get out in the community and do things like this. We’re always looking for opportunities with The W1974 Collective to get out and interact and do things for the community and serve the people who have given so much to us. We just want to get out there and use our name, image and likeness to bring good to the community.”
It was a busy weekend for Lee and her teammates. Kentucky students are taking final exams and the gymnastics team had its annual Blue-White exhibition meet Sunday to give fans a glance at what lies ahead for the team this season that officially starts Jan. 10 at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in Utah.
“We didn’t even know exactly when the (Blue-White) meet would be because of volleyball (playing in Memorial Coliseum in the NCAA Tournament). We have a fairly young team with a lot of freshmen who were competing for the first time as Wildcats, so it was fun,” Lee said after the meet before she spent time with fans.
“It was great to see everyone being so cohesive and I think we are all really fired up for the season already.”
Coach Tim Garrison’s team has only one senior — Isabella Rivelli — and Lee knows her junior class will have to fill the leadership void.
“It’s cool to see how my experience as a freshman and sophomore has helped me with the new freshmen, and even the transfer, as they transition here and I can remind them that they got this,” Lee said.
During Sunday’s exhibition, Lee took a fall during her bars routine but wasted no time getting up to finish the routine.
“Unfortunately, I think today was just an off day for me,” she said after the meet. “I am just getting used to these bars. We actually track how many times we fall on bars. I haven’t done that in almost five weeks.”
Kentucky has been one of the better teams in the powerful Southeastern Conference in recent years and despite having a young team Lee is optimistic about the upcoming season.
“I think we have such amazing freshmen,” she said.
One freshman who has really impressed her is Gabby Van Fraymen of Lewis Center, Ohio, a five-star recruit.
“She’s out here, kicking butt, taking names. She’s doing so awesome,” Lee said.
Sabrina Nemcek of Chicago has “looked really good” on bars to Lee while Addie Hofseth of Magnolia, Texas, “is making a statement on vault” already.
“There’s just a lot of really good gymnastics going on in the gym from these freshmen. I would say just kind of keep your eye out for these newcomers. They are super hungry to show what they can do,” Lee said.
* * *
If you would like to donate to Jarrett’s Toy Cart, go here.
2 Responses
Thanks Larry, I like it when you share other UK sports as well not focus on basketball and football only.
Thanks Cats. UK has so many great athletes and to be honest, lot more access to certain sports and those athletes have great stories to tell as well
Comments are closed.