University of Minnesota Alumni Association : Director's Column: Goldy's Gang is the Ticket


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Director's Column: Goldy's Gang is the Ticket
9/8/2003

Two years ago, I became an instant grandmother when my daughter Julie married Paul Miller (B.A. '84). Paul's fraternal twins, Anna and Erin, were 9 years old at the time. They inherited a stepmother and their third grandmother. Rather than complicate the family tree, we decided that Nonnie would be my moniker, and I began to seek out ways to get to know the kids.

When Anna and Erin were 10 years old, I took them to the Indoor Marching Band Concert at Northrop Auditorium. The music was spectacular, and the kids got to go up on stage at intermission and meet the student musicians. Anna said, "This is an opportunity of a lifetime." Such big words, but she was right.

When I later saw the application for Goldy's Gang Kids Club, for eighth-graders and under, I knew it would be a perfect holiday gift. For a membership fee of $25, a special girl or boy in your life can get close to the action of all 25 University of Minnesota team sports. And I know firsthand that when you accompany youngsters to any of these events, the experience is priceless.

Goldy's Gang kids receive free admission to all regular-season Gopher women's home events, as well as to baseball games and wrestling matches. They receive discounted tickets to select football and men's basketball and hockey games. And, if you put your little Gopher fan's name on the list with club staff, he or she might have an opportunity to deliver the game ball to the officials during a pregame ceremony—something Anna and Erin want to do next year. A Goldy's Gang T-shirt was Anna and Erin's badge of inclusion. And throughout the year they proudly showed their laminated membership cards to the ticket sellers as we went through the turnstiles at events.

They were mesmerized at the 2002 football team's first home game victory, a 42-0 win over Southwest Texas State. I have a precious picture of them taken from behind, sitting close together, with the action on the field down below. They will cherish this memory caught on film in years to come, and so will I.

Erin and I cheered wildly as the women's basketball team beat Purdue 90-75 before a record crowd of 13,117 in Williams Arena. It was Lindsay Lieser Day, and Erin posed for a photograph with the U's three-point record holder. Lieser signed his program, and he met Coach Pam Borton too.

Anna is a budding gymnast, so she couldn't wait for the dual meet with Utah, the reigning national champion. The Gophers lost a close contest, but Anna was smiling from the first routine to the last. And afterward, all the girls—and a few boys—got into line to have their programs signed by the squad members.

On a perfect Saturday in May, the grandkids and I went to the Big Ten baseball game against Ohio State, which the Gophers won 5-2. Erin had his glove on his hand during the entire game, even though the net would have prevented a ball from reaching it.

At skating parties with the Gopher men's and women's hockey teams, the kids had the opportunity glide up to each of the players and ask them for an autograph on a team poster. (They wanted Nonnie to come out on the ice with them, but I said that I needed to capture all the action on film, so I stayed on firm ground. Maybe next year. . . .)

There are three special events during the year as well. The fall kickoff party for Goldy's Gang Kids Club this year is September 20 on the Metrodome plaza. Kids can tailgate with Goldy before the game against Louisiana-Lafayette. And sponsor Applebee's includes a free kid's meal coupon with the membership. (Remember that alumni association members get 10 percent off their bill every day at the new Applebee's in the Radisson hotel on Washington Avenue where, incidentally, the walls are filled with Gopher sports photographs and memorabilia.)

This membership adventure is valued at more than $200, but the opportunity for autographs with the student athletes and coaches is invaluable. The kids also receive a birthday card from Goldy and a regular newsletter full of fun facts about the athletes and the U. For example, did you know that in 2002 the U of M was named the seventh best sports university in the nation by Sports Illustrated? Or that Gopher volleyball player Erin Martin's favorite TV show is SpongeBob SquarePants?

As you can well imagine, there are hundreds of youngsters who would like to take part in Goldy's Gang but whose parents can't afford it. Here's where you can help. If you want to light up a Minnesota child's eyes and spark their dreams, the University Athletics Department accepts donations that provide memberships to underprivileged youth. Your gift can be anonymous or you can be a visible patron.

What's this program all about? It's about forming a strong and memorable bond with the University of Minnesota and Golden Gopher athletics during a child's formative years. Not every one of these youngsters will apply to the U, but I know for certain that they will always have a soft spot in their heart for their special hometown team. It's also about spending quality time with the important young people in your life, building their self-esteem, and exposing them to new possibilities.

For more information about Goldy's Gang Kids Club, call 612-625-4879 or visit www.gophersports.com and pull down "Inside Athletics."

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