BATON ROUGE — Seven LSU student athletes representing the Gymnastics, Track and Field and Swimming and Diving programs participated in the Big Buddy’s Zumbathon in the Carl Maddox Field House over the weekend.
The event was put on as a fundraiser for the Big Buddy mentoring program.
Gymnastics athletes Randi Lau, Ericka Garcia and Shelby Prunty, Track & Field’s Danielle Martin and Katie Carroll, and Swimming & Diving members Mikayda Mills and Timmy Dasinger helped with check-in, greeting participants and performed celebrity Zumba routines as “celebrity guest performers.”
The student-athletes also met with kids in the Big Buddy mentoring program and taught them a routine. Martin is Zumba certified and led the group in four routines that she personally choreographed.
“Zumba is a fun workout, and it feels like you’re at a party,” Martin said. “Pairing it with an amazing organization like Big Buddy made it a cause that I was thrilled to be a part of today.”
The Big Buddy program was also on campus during the Fall semester and many of the children and student athletes were already acquainted.
“Being able to help the Big Buddy program raise money by leading a Zumba class was something that we’ve never done, and we’re excited to do it again,” Garcia said. “We mentored kids at the beginning of last semester, and it was really fun. We got to spend a day with them on campus, took them to class and different facilities. I believe that this program is very beneficial to the kids of Baton Rouge, and we are glad we are able to support it.”