Spring Fling

On Friday we conducted post-testing to see how the girls had improved over the last 10 weeks.  They did awesome so we celebrated at the Spring Fling in the aux gym.  It's meant to give students a good break from studying and celebrate the semester.  They had lots of activities like balloon animals, velcro wall, bungee run, and elephant ears!  Here are a few pics from the day.

The team with their balloon animals

Lexie on the bungee run

Kelse's turn

Lexi & Kelse on the anti-gravity ride

Hannah on the velcro wall

Ice Cream!

The athletic department did a fundraiser for Make-A-Wish recentenly.  Our team sold the most t-shirts for the fundraiser and were rewarded with a trip to Dairy Queen courtesy of the women's basketball coach Mike Williams who owns the DQ at the Woodland Mall.  So we made a day of it to give the girls a study break.  We had some Chinese then ice cream!

Volunteering at the Renucci House

This weekend we got the opportunity to go volunteer at the Renucci House. The Renucci House is associated with Spectrum Hospitals and the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.  They provide a place to stay for families who have loved ones in the hospital.

We all got together on Friday night an baked cookies, cupcakes, and brownies to be brought to the house for the guests. On Saturday morning we cooked breakfast for all the people staying in the house. We made egg casserole, cinnamon rolls, and fresh fruit, and then served it to the guests. We then got to talk with some of the people staying there and it felt good to see a smile on their faces. I can't wait to go back and help out again!

We got a wonderful thank you note from the receptionist at the Renucci House:

Dear Davenport Ladies Volleyball Team:

 

We wanted to thank you for providing and serving a meal at the Renucci Hospitality House.  We are so grateful for your support and generosity.  You make a difference in the lives of families going through difficult situations at the hospital.

 

We heard so many wonderful compliments about how wonder the breakfast was and how wonderful you group was to our guests.  Thank You for making them feel so special.  Also, the baked goods of cookies, cupcakes, and brownies was greatly appreciated.  Homemade baked goods go fast around here!

 

Your support is appreciated more than we can express through this note.  Please know your time, donation of food, and your serving to others is truly appreciated not only by us, but also by our guests.

 

Please, remember . . . . You are making a difference!!

 

Thank You, Again,

 

 

The Renucci Hospitality House Team

Jill M. Wolven

Relay for Life

Our DUVB participated in the Relay for Life here on campus. Our First task of this eventful day was to go to our nearby Meijer and by ourselves $40 worth of snacks and energy drinks. We may have overdone it due to some side effects. We may have been speaking a hundred miles a minute a point in time.  Energy drinks probably wasn’t the best idea, but it was worth having the shakes for exchange for a few laughs.

Well the Relay for Life consisted of us raising money towards the foundation, walking and participating in events for 18hrs. By the end of it we were exhausted and may have had some blisters but it was worth it. It’s worth being lucky to walk for a cure and for the cancer survivors but also being able to walk for the loved ones and our community members who have lost their lives to the battle of cancer. In Martina McBride’s song she sings “Cancer don’t discriminate or care if you’re just 38 with three kids who need you in their lives.” Cancer is diagnosed at any age or phase in someone’s life. At the beginning of Relay there was a survivor lap, we were able to see all different ages, cancer has affected.  During this time they played Martina’s song “I’m gonna love you through it.” As we were watching the survivors walk, it inspired us in a way we can’t fully describe. We are proud and glad we had the opportunity to experience this moment.

We suggest if you have a chance to participate in Relay for life, then go do it. It’s an experience we will never forget.

P.S. We would like to thank all of the people who helped us raise money towards Relay for Life and also we would  like to thank Davenport’s Relay for life coordinators for putting together such a great event!