Giant Gymnastics raises money for juvenile arthritis

SPARTA — Folks at Giant Gymnastics of Sparta and Hackettstown knew about Juvenile Arthritis, but it became a personal issue when they learned a former gymnast, Natalie Baxter of White Township was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Polyarticular Arthritis at 21 months old.
Over the years, Natalie tried different activities like cheerleading, soccer, and dance. Unfortunately, they didn’t work out, but this didn’t stop her from finding gymnastics.
That’s when the staff at Giant had the idea of teaming up with Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez and Lucas Sports. For every tier of donations any gymnast of either location raised, she earned different incentives that all boiled down to spending time with Laurie. Gymnasts could earn a private clinic with Laurie, autographs, a roundtable, a Q&A session, and top earners received an additional clinic and dinner with the Olympian.
During the larger clinic, Laurie coached each girl individually on the balance beam, taking the time to see where their skill levels were and providing individual advice. After the Q&A, Laurie judged a handstand contest where the winner received a replica gold medal from Laurie.
The gyms collectively raised $10,327 for the Arthritis Foundation and Laurie spent hours at the gym devoting her own time and energy to the cause and the future of gymnastics.
For more information on Giant Gymnastics of Sparta, visit their website at www.giantgymnastics.com. For Giant Gymnastics of Hackettstown, head to www.GiantGymnastics.net.
Learn more about the Arthritis Foundation at www.arthritis.org.