Fill The Floor: Flagler ‘Shows the Love’

Story by Audrey Jirak, Photos by Sarah Ellis

This year marked the fourth annual ‘Fill the Floor’ game, held at Flagler’s home court on February 12. Basketball fans and Flagler students alike brought stuffed animals to donate to UFHealth St. Johns Hospital. Fans brought a whopping 354 stuffed animals to toss for the cause, all of which were brought to UFHealth’s Flagler Hospital, where they will comfort kids who come into the emergency room.

Erin Wallner, the administrator of Marketing and Communications for UFHealth St. Johns, expressed how much this means to everyone on the receiving end.

“Every year it seems like we get more and more donations, which is fantastic because we definitely go through them,” Wallner said. “Children sometimes need a cuddly friend to help make the experience a little less scary.”

Wallner shared a story from the nurse manager at UF Health, Shayla McDonald, about a little boy in the emergency department who needed to be flown to another hospital.

“He was pretty scared,” said Wallner. “He was telling his mom and dad he didn’t want to go.” That is, until one of the hospital staff found a superhero stuffed animal from “Fill the Floor,” and gave it to the little boy. “He was just really, really excited. He stopped crying and told his parents that ‘me and Spidey have got it,'” Wallner said.

Flagler’s basketball players know how important ‘Fill the Floor’ is. Josiah Shackleford, a guard on the mens’ team, was one of many players who helped increase student turnout the morning of the game.

“I was really happy and excited about handing out some donuts to get more people here,” Shackleford said. “I would want a stuffed animal if I was in [the ER].”

The Flagler mens’ players don’t get to participate in the toss themselves because they are on the court playing the game. But that didn’t stop them from imagining how they’d take part.

Another guard on the mens’ team, Hoku Fisher, said that it is a great cause, and one that he wishes he could support with one of the toys he grew up with. “If I could give one away, it would be my Clifford,” Fisher said. “And I’ve had that since I was a baby.”

Plenty of athletes from both the women’s basketball team and other Flagler sports were on hand to participate in filling the floor.

Cooper Smith, a pitcher on the men’s baseball team, was at the tailgate before the game. He held a bright green stuffed dinosaur while explaining why he and so many other athletes had come to support this event. “It’s more of a community thing between athletes.” Smith said. “It’s like showing up to your friend’s birthday party.”

The crowd was mostly made up of other Flagler sports teams, in fact. The dance team, cheerleaders, and pep band were all performing at the event. Students, athletes, staff, and Saints fans dotted the stands, holding toys of all shapes and sizes. Two Flagler students, Alyssa Monaco and Hailey Whitman, said they were inspired by last year’s event, and felt like they had to come back to support the cause this year. “We came last year and we loved it,” Monaco said.

The cheerleaders have full hands; holding stuffed animals along with their bright white pom poms. Freshman Ja’Mesa Walker is no exception. “I got a stuffed turtle,” Walker said, “because everyone needs to ‘just keep swimming.’”

Several members of the women’s basketball team stuck around for ‘Fill the Floor’ after winning their game. Carleigh Grimm, No. 21, was one of them, and held a purple sea turtle to throw. “My coach gave it to me to throw on the floor. I was honored,” Grimm said. “I just want to help the cause.”

Once the game started, Flagler athletes dotted the stands. One of them was Ciara Cacciatore, an attacker on the women’s lacrosse team, who was there with a big group of her teammates. “We’re here to give the support to other teams that they give to us,” Cacciatore said.

Flagler’s Pep Band provided the music for the game, and drummer Madi Torres described how excited students get every year.

“All of the students compete with each other; who gets the biggest or the most stuffed animals,” Torres said. “I can’t even imagine what those kids are going through, I think it’s a really sweet gesture.”

Students were so eager to toss the toys that they actually threw them a bit early. Dane Bertolina, a guard on the women’s basketball team, stuck around for ‘Fill the Floor’ after her team’s win against Augusta. “It was crazy,” Bertolina said. “They all threw them, and then we had to give all the stuffed animal’s back.”

The announcer poked fun at the fans as cheerleaders and staff gathered up the animals and threw them back to the crowd. His voice boomed over the crowd, teasing them to wait for his signal.

“Hold out on the stuffed animal throwing,” the announcer said. “Don’t worry Saints fans, you will have your chance. Stand by, we just have to finish the first half.”

Once the announcer’s gave his signal and the buzzer sounded halftime, hundreds of stuffed animals took their flight to the floor once more. Student athletes and staff picked up all of the animals; they would be put into bags, counted, and taken to the hospital to await being chosen by their new owner.

Jesse VanKrimpen, a midfielder on the men’s soccer team, was one of the athletes who came out to support the cause. VanKrimpen put it simply:

“Show the love.”