Special to The Laker/Lutz News

 

Zephyrhills family takes kindness to great lengths

 

By B.C. Manion

 

When Elenya Hulbert heard the news that Superstorm Sandy was barreling toward her native New Jersey, she worried about family and friends who were in the storm’s path.

When she saw news reports of the devastation, she knew — on a deeper, more personal level than many — what they had lost.

“Immediately, I just sensed we’ve got to do something to help. God just put a burden on my heart to reach out and help,” said Elenya, who grew up in Cliffwood Beach, N.J. and later lived in Union Beach.

“I figured we could at least collect supplies, some clothing, because we had seen that some people had lost everything,” Elenya said. She added, “Our intention initially was just to pull a small U-Haul behind our vehicle. … We put out this notice to the community to help us gather supplies.”

Tina Root — a sign store in town — donated signage to help them solicit contributions for storm victims.

They also put out the word that they were collecting supplies at New Walk Church, where they are members.

There was an outpouring of support, Elenya said, adding that they received all kinds of donations.

Among the items they collected include a truck full of wheelchairs and walkers, loads of food, diapers, cleaning supplies and lots of clothing.

“You name it, we received it,” Elenya said. “We realized that that small pull-along U-Haul was not going to be adequate, so we started looking into renting a larger truck.”

People also started chipping in money to help cover the family’s travel expenses.

“We wound up raising $1,900 in donations. That paid for the truck. It paid for the hotel. It paid for our whole entire trip,” said Elenya, who made the trek with her husband, Matt, their sons, Austin and Kyle, and Matt’s brother, Alex, who took time off from work to drive the 16-foot truck, while the family trailed behind in their white Yukon.

They left on the Sunday after Sandy hit and spent 19 hours on the road.

The Hulberts stayed with Elenya’s friends, Dee McCallum and her family, in Lacey Township, N.J.

When they arrived in New Jersey, they went to help a woman in Toms River who Elenya’s brother knew. He’d heard that the woman’s house had flooded.

“All of her belongings were out on the street,” Elenya said. “We pulled up with a 16-foot truck and we said, ‘What do you need? We’ll give it to you right now.’”

Elenya said the woman had to stay in the house because she had nowhere else to go.

“We gave her furniture. A bed. She took blankets. She took clothing,” Elenya said.

She also was glad to get pet food to feed the dogs that she fosters.

“She was in tears,” Elenya said.

Next door, the Hulberts noticed that a neighbor had wet towels hanging over the fence.

“We asked him if needed anything off of the truck. He said, ‘Well, if you have any towels, that would be great.’  So, we gave him bags of towels to be able to sop up the water in his house,” Elenya said.

Their next stop was at the Silverton Firehouse in Toms River, which was serving as a distribution point to help Sandy victims.

“At least 30 of their volunteer firemen had lost their homes,” Elenya said. “… We distributed about a third of the truck to them.”

The following day they were in the Union Beach area, where Elenya’s niece works at a deli.

“One of her co-workers had lost everything,” Elenya said. “She had to swim to leave her house.”

Union Beach was the area they saw that was hit the hardest.

“I’ve never been in a war zone before, but basically that’s what it (Union Beach) looked like,” Matt said. There were “houses all over the place. Rubble. Just pure destruction. … It’s where the ocean comes into the bay. From where the water is normally to where the water was, there had to have been at least a 20-foot wall of water that hit the seawall and then sent 10 or plus feet over the seawall.”

Austin, 9, added, “All I saw was buildings destroyed.”

They were able to give the woman clothing for her 2-year-old son, blankets and sweatshirts.

“This was the town where 200 homes, so far, have been condemned,” Elenya said. “It was just extreme damage every single street. It was a tent city. Their belongings, their flooring, their drywall, their furniture, their clothes just piled. Street after street.”

Kyle, 11, added, “It was like I was in a nightmare, and I just couldn’t wake up. It made me feel very sad.”

It was freezing when the family arrived at a fire department that was accepting donations, Elenya said.

She recalled one of the most poignant moments was when the family provided items for a woman who had twin babies.

“We had a twin stroller that someone had donated. We also had two car seats. We gave her diapers, wipes, clothing,” said Elenya, who got off the truck to help the woman carry the items.

“I’m thinking, ‘Where is she going to take me? We’re going to a car? Where are we going?” Elenya said.

The woman stopped on the sidewalk and began to cry. She had forgotten that her home was gone, Elenya said. So, they brought the items back to the truck and a volunteer agreed to store them until the woman had a place to go.

The storm victims had different ways of coping, Elenya said.

Some had their heads bowed, in despair. Others tried to lift each other’s spirits.

In one tent, a woman was playing a guitar, leading a sing-along.

“It was cool to see the victims coming together as a community and helping one another, and giving the other person supplies that didn’t have it who needed it,” Kyle said.

The last stop the Hulberts made was at the Toms River Restore the Shore Donation Drop-off, Elenya said.

“The day before they’d have 500 people through,” Matt said.

The Hulberts said they’ll never forget the devastation they saw, or the feelings they experienced while helping people in New Jersey.

“I’m still tearing up over it,” Elenya said.

“It blessed us, to be part of that. To see people’s appreciation,” she added.

She said it also reminded her, “There’s hope through all of this, no matter what has happened.”

 

 

By Jeff Odom

 

Brian Gainer left home last summer with a dream in mind.

The Steinbrenner High graduate had already accomplished half of it by signing to play football at University of Mount Union in Ohio, a Division III powerhouse. Now he has achieved even greater goals by earning a roster spot and a national championship.

***

Gainer began his high school career at Alonso as a freshman, then with Sickles and eventually wound up at Steinbrenner for his junior year.

His drive to start every Friday night was there, but when he arrived at the school he found himself sitting behind two players on the depth chart.

“I’m not going to lie, it made me angry, and sometimes I wanted to quit,” Gainer said. “But I knew I couldn’t give up on my dream of playing in college and eventually making it pro.”

Gainer worked on getting better after the Warriors finished 5-5 in 2010. Although he didn’t know it at the time, his number would be called on multiple occasions after injuries plagued the team’s roster, especially running backs.

“I wanted to prove a lot of people wrong (that year) that told me I was too small or something and I did,” Gainer said. “I was confident in myself, and I had a drive to keep getting better.”

That drive granted him his dream.

After posting 216 rushing yards on 19 carries with three touchdowns during Steinbrenner’s 7-3 season in 2011, Gainer caught the eye of Mount Union, which offered him an academic scholarship and a chance to play football for a program that has had 14 undefeated seasons and won 10 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl titles — the Division III national championship — since its inception in 1993.

Gainer signed to attend the school in May, donning the purple and black alongside two of his teammates, who also signed with other Division III universities.

There wasn’t much time for celebrating and reflecting on his accomplishments as Gainer wanted to start working out to get ready for the transition from high school to the collegiate level.

***

Gainer saw an immediate change in the culture compared to what he had at Steinbrenner when he arrived at Mount Union.

“Steinbrenner had a solid football team,” Gainer said. “They weren’t winning any state championships, but the biggest difference was really just student-based. The players, they take their football a little more seriously. The things that distracted high school kids don’t distract in college. They know what they want.”

And soon, Gainer did too.

Long before the break of dawn, he would begin morning workouts back at home, knowing it would take more than just hard work to get a spot on the team’s travel roster.

“This summer, every morning I would get up and get going at 6 a.m. on my own,” Gainer said. “I didn’t have a college coach waking me up; I just woke up quietly without waking up my mom, left the house and met up with a Sickles kid named Adrian Lopez, and we went to the field from 6 to 8, and then we’d lift (weights) until about 10 Monday through Friday.”

Once Gainer arrived in college, he said the team’s captains would make sure all of the new players were dialed in.

“We’re a brotherhood,” Gainer said. “The brother relationship that you build is crazy. You wake up and brush your teeth together, shower together, sweat and eat together, go to class; you live together. It’s a family, and I think that was the biggest adjustment I had to make from high school.”

***

As the season got underway, Gainer was informed that he would be the team’s top freshman wide receiver on the traveling team. He earned his first playing time midway through the season and soon realized just how good his team was.

The Purple Raiders were blowing out opponents left and right, winning by scores of 66-0, 62-0 and 51-0.

It was then that Gainer understood that his visions of hoisting a national championship trophy might soon be reality.

“Being the No. 1 freshman wide receiver on the depth chart was really amazing, and to be a part of all of what was going on, I was just so happy,” Gainer said. “I joined FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and my faith in God got stronger, and everything has been nothing but good news.”

Mount Union continued its domination of opponents all the way into the playoffs until it met Mary Hardin-Baylor in the semifinals.

The No. 2 seed led the Purple Raiders at halftime, becoming the first team to have a lead against them all season. But what happened in the second half makes even Gainer shake his head and call it the “most amazing game I have ever seen in my entire life.”

Mount Union scored a touchdown with 42 seconds left in the game to pull even. Then, with just five seconds remained, Jake Simon pounded it in from 12 yards out to go ahead, and a 25-yard fumble recovery with no time left put the Purple Raiders up by two scores to secure the berth in the national title game.

Mount Union defeated Saint Thomas 28-10 Dec. 14 on ESPN in the Stagg Bowl for its 11th national championship and to complete a perfect 15-0 season.

Gainer became the first Steinbrenner alum to win a national title in any sport, something he didn’t really ponder until he returned home for winter break. He added that he’s thankful for the beginning of his football career.

“Wow, honestly I didn’t even think about that,” Gainer said. “That makes me more appreciative than what I was before. I chose Mount because of the championships they’ve won, and we did it.

“Over the next three years, I want to call the people that have helped me reach my success and tell them, ‘Thank you,’” Gainer continued. “There are so many people who have helped me get where I am. My mom, my dad, my coaches and teammates, and I’m just so thankful. Hopefully (in three years) I’ll be a three-time All-American, preparing for the NFL Draft. That’s my dream.”

 

 

By Kyle LoJacono

 

Keenan Kushner spends hours perfecting his craft, but unlike most talented people he doesn’t limit himself to one skill.

For the Wharton senior, it’s way more fun to be a dominating goalkeeper in soccer and an all-county violinist.

“I like doing both,” Kushner said. “I play soccer, and then I go home and play violin. They’re just completely different, two opposites that I take seriously. … There are some similarities like staying focused, but other than that it’s a lot different.”

Kushner took to soccer first, picking up the game around age 4 with a recreational team in New Tampa.

“My dad (John) played soccer in high school, so I wanted to continue the family thing,” Kushner said. “I’ve always liked it, so I stayed with it.”

He made the move into the net soon after.

“I was a field player when I was younger, but I got kind of chubby so they put me in goal,” Kushner said. “I started at goalkeeper at U9. When I learned I had to be able to move around to be a goalkeeper, I lost a lot of weight so I could get better.”

The move appears to be a good one for the 6-foot Kushner, who’s started for the Wildcats since his freshman season.

Kushner was a first-team all-Western Conference selection last season when he racked up 72 saves with eight shutouts and a 1.1 goals against average in 18 games. He has 31 saves and two shutout in nine games this season.

“He’s been a rock for us,” said Wharton boys soccer coach Scott Ware. “He’s one of those guys who is very composed. He’s got a very calm approach. He’s just the solid part of the team that we haven’t had to worry about for the last four years.”

Kushner learned of his passion for music almost as early as he found soccer. He started playing in the fourth grade and has been first chair all-county since his sophomore year in high school.

He started a group with friends called Ceville String Quintet when he entered high school. Kushner and Co. had their first paid gig this year, playing at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Boulevard. They have performed at other events, including weddings.

Kushner said he enjoys being so involved in two very different activities, but it does demand most of his free time.

“I have class every day where I play for two hours,” Kushner said. “Then I try to practice at least another hour at home. … I’d say I spend about 10 hours with soccer and 10 hours playing violin each week.”

Grades are also important to Kushner.

He is in the top 5 percent of Wharton’s 2013 graduating class with a 5.76 weighted grade point average, which opens up the possibility of going to a very prestigious college.

“He’s looking at Notre Dame, and he’s got a good chance of playing there,” Ware said. “I’ve talked with the coaches there, and he wants to play. He could play at a bunch of schools, but academics are really important to him too, so he won’t just go to a school for the soccer. He’s an all-around kid.”

Kushner will compete in a soccer camp in January for several college coaches and is having auditions as well. He plans on getting a minor in music while majoring in biology, with the plan of going into premed.

“I might play soccer, I might not, just depending on what school I go to,” Kushner said. “I want to play soccer and violin and go to a good school. That’s the goal.”

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

A national lacrosse tournament that nearly left Pasco County has drawn a record number of entries for this year’s event.

The Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions presented by Pasco County will feature 90 teams, in five divisions, seeking to win the title of national champion.

The tournament, which will run from Dec. 29 through Dec. 31, has attracted teams from 20 states and two Canadian provinces, said Josh Gross, NDP’s senior director of lacrosse operations.

NDP, which is based in Colorado, operates the tournament and had considered moving it to IMG Academy, an elite athletic training facility in Bradenton. IMG had offered a number of enticements, but Pasco officials beat the offer and kept the tournament in Wesley Chapel.

The tournament has been in Pasco since 2008 and has a significant impact on the local economy.

Gross said the county made a short-term commitment to provide Internet capabilities in the press box at one of the fields, and also made a longer-term pledge to provide more fields to support the tournament.

In addition to announcing a record for the number of teams taking part in the tournament, Gross also said that organizers have decided to have the tournament every year from Dec. 29 through Dec. 31.

Previously, the tournament had dates in early January and the dates changed annually.

That became problematic, Gross said.

The new schedule also offers another advantage, Gross said.

“This gives teams a chance to play and celebrate the New Year,” he said. In the past, some games were scheduled as early as 8 a.m. on New Year’s Day, not exactly when people are at their best after celebrating the night before.

Many of the families who come to the tournament stay at Saddlebrook Resort Tampa, which is located nearby in Wesley Chapel, Gross said. So many of them stay there; it becomes like a second venue for the tournament, he added.

Gross applauded the resort for going out of its way to be family-friendly.

Saddlebrook offers affordable food options poolside, Gross said. It also has swim-up movies, allowing people to hang out at the pool and watch a movie on a big screen nearby, he said.

“They do a great job for New Year’s Eve,” Gross added.

While NDP organizes myriad events all year long, Gross said the lacrosse tournament is the one that he and his staff look forward to the most.

For one thing, it’s warm.

More importantly, though, the tournament showcases top lacrosse teams from across the country that have had to win a qualifying tournament in order to compete.

The tournament draws “the best quality of teams with the most on the line,” Gross said.

 

New mayor will be elected in April

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Steve Van Gorden has resigned his position as mayor of Zephyrhills.

Van Gorden had already stepped down from his role as principal of Zephyrhills High and as president of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce in the midst of an investigation involving claims of sexual harassment. He was facing an impeachment hearing by the Zephyrhills City Council in January.

Van Gorden explained his decision in a letter of resignation that was dated Dec. 13, but submitted to the city the following day.

“After a great deal of personal reflection and in consultation with my family and close advisors, I have decided that it is in the best interest of all concerned that I resign my position of Mayor of Zephyrhills immediately,” Van Gorden wrote.

He went on to express his love for the city of Zephyrhills and his belief in its potential. Those facts made his decision to step down more difficult, Van Gorden wrote.

However, Van Gorden added, “Hardworking, taxpaying citizens deserve to have their money put to work on services and in leaders that focus on the improvement of their quality of life. I do not believe it to be in anyone’s interest to further debate or distract resources from that single priority.”

Van Gorden’s decision to step down from the mayor’s post came less than two weeks after resigning as president of the Zephyrhills chamber. Initially, he had taken a 60-day leave of absence, but he decided instead to step away from the position in a Dec. 3 letter. He said work obligations would make it impossible to remain in the post.

John Scott stepped in as chamber president, effective Dec. 5.

As Van Gorden leaves the mayor’s post, Zephyrhills City Council member Kenneth Compton will assume the role until a new mayor is elected.

City voters will choose a new mayor in the city’s next municipal election, scheduled for April 2, said City Manager Jim Drumm.

The city charter calls for a special election to be held, except in cases where the next regular election is within six months of the vacancy, Drumm said. The city will exercise that option because it wants as many voters as possible to participate in electing the mayor and it wants to avoid the expense of a special election.