Local Digest: Kaepernick’s Camp Taylor tournament coming up Monday at Del Rio CC
Camp Taylor, the medically supervised free camp for children with heart disease based in Salida, always has a friend in Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick, the 49ers quarterback and graduate of Pitman High, has helped to raise more than $540,000 for Camp Taylor over the first two years of his “Against All Odds” golf tournament. The third annual tournament, to be held Monday at Del Rio Country Club, is on track for more success.
“We’ll exceed what we raised last year. We’ll help more children,” said Kimberlie Gamino, Camp Taylor founder.
Gamino and her husband started the outreach program 12 years ago after their son, Taylor, was born with half a heart. Kaepernick lost two brothers to heart disease.
The tournament cause doubles in importance this year because Camp Taylor is in the process of purchasing its first permanent home, the former Stanislaus County Honor Farm near Grayson.
“We’ve leaned on various camp facilities over the years,” Gamino said. “We’re looking forward to having our own home.”
The tournament field is full with 172 players, and 300 are expected for the dinner Monday night. Kaepernick will be joined by fellow NFL players.
Kaepernick’s fondness for children is well-known. He welcomed more than 300 for his ProCamps football clinic last weekend at San Francisco. Camp Taylor, however, is his favorite, he says.
“He is a special member of our family,” Gamino said. “We love him to pieces.”
MYSA trip reunion Saturday – Thirty-five years ago, a team of Modesto Youth Soccer Association players aged 13 to 15 traveled to Ireland for three weeks of competition. The trip was memorable. In fact, 24 members of that team – which consisted of players from the MYSA’s Modesto 001 and Chemworld teams – will gather in Modesto for a reunion Saturday.
“These men have done well,” said Robert Gotelli, MYSA’s founding commissioner. “They’re doctors, lawyers, dentists, entrepreneurs and in law enforcement.”
They will test their legs in an intrasquad game Saturday morning at Grogan Park, followed by a party that night.
“We were kind of the pioneers of the Ajax travel teams in Modesto today,” said Timm Kluender, a resident of Vail, Colo., and one of the 24 returning players. “The biggest thing for me about the trip was the cultural exchange. We stayed with a host family and it was a good growing experience.”
New athletic faculty rep for Stanislaus – Dr. Donna Andrews will succeed Dr. John Mayer as the faculty athletic representative at Cal State Stanislaus. She has served as an associated professor in the Department of Teacher Education since 2008. Andrews, a former basketball star at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y., is a member of the school’s athletic hall of fame.
Warrior tennis players earn all-academic honors – Six members of the Stanislaus women’s tennis team – Analyssa Tallas, Kaitlyn Ireland, Mallorie Nordahl, Jessica Laurie, Sarah Cardenas and Ebone Qualls – made the Academic All-Pacific West Conference team.
This story was originally published June 25, 2015 at 5:58 PM with the headline "Local Digest: Kaepernick’s Camp Taylor tournament coming up Monday at Del Rio CC."