Throughout the course of the 2011 season, MVNU sophomore midfielder Amy Weaver will write a weekly blog about what is happening with the team.

"Cedar Point Fundraiser" (posted on September 28, 2011)

As most of you know, our soccer team stays pretty busy throughout the year. Which is why, when we found out our only free weekend would be spent on a fundraising opportunity, our spirits were rather down. Don't get me wrong, we all love being around each other, but as hard as it is to believe, even college students get a little homesick at times. We put these feelings aside, however, because we all know that being a part of a team is about sacrifice. This fundraising opportunity, which meant working a weekend at Cedar Point, was a big opportunity for us, so we were all ready to rise to the occasion.



Before rambling on about our weekend I'd like to begin by saying that it just wasn't the same without three of our teammates who, due to some unfortunate age requirements and Nursing overload, couldn't make the trip. It's always a big deal when even just one of our teammates can't be there with us because we are so used to traveling as a unit. I think we all sensed a difference in the atmosphere as a result of our teammates' absence, but we overcame this obstacle because we knew it would benefit us all in the long run.

Ok, back to our weekend. We arrived at Cedar Point Friday night not having a clue what to expect. We were all anxiously awaiting the informational meeting we would be having that night, hoping it would ease our minds. The look on our instructor's face when we all piled into the room made us realize that an army of girls can be pretty overwhelming, especially when you know you have to explain things to them. The difficulty of this task resulted in a very entertaining meeting, but props to our instructor, Alex, who did his best to answer the vast amount of questions we had.

After being cooped up in a room for an hour, we were all ready to release our energy on some coasters! Because, did I mention, that Cedar Point generously gives their employees free access to the park? Yep, it's true. So, not only were we raising money for our soccer program, but we were also experiencing some of the world's biggest thrill rides! On top of that, it was Halloweekends, so the night was filled with even more excitement and a ton of scares. Things got so intense that at one point people were being shoved into bushes in attempts to get away from the freaky men with chainsaws (cough, cough - Haley Sparks!). By the end of the night, it seemed as if everyone in the park knew who the Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's soccer team was. If not by our matching blue jackets, then it was our ear-piercing screams that gave us away.



Friday night had exhausted us all, but it was well worth it. As tired as we all were, we knew what we had come there to do and that was work. So on Saturday, we were split up into our groups for our first experience with working at Cedar Point. We were mainly assigned to the merchandise shops and photo booths of certain rides. However, our coach, due to his stubborn refusal to shave his goatee, was forced to work in one of the warehouses. That's what you get folks, for not following the Cedar Point employee guidelines.

Although one of our main goals was to raise some money for our program, this weekend was also a great opportunity to shine our light to others. And while for some people this was done literally, we also found ways to cheer people up with our positive attitudes and caring spirits. This Cedar Point fundraiser was one of the most unforgettable fundraisers I have ever been a part of. I would definitively recommend it to anyone looking for not only a great way to raise money, but for a chance to experience some awesome team bonding.

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