Amidst the craziness of Shippensburg’s home sports events this past weekend, a project partnered by the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Volvo finally came to fruition. 

At the start of last summer, SAAC adviser Ashley Grimm and officers Eve Nealon, Brooklyn Rupert, Savannah Silvestre and Owen Koch teamed up with Volvo to take on a collaboration project with Dream on 3 and its national program Director Bradley Hurn. 

As explained by Hurn, “Dream on 3 is a nonprofit organization that makes sports dreams come true for kids living with life altering conditions between the ages of 5 and 21.” 

Hurn oversees the college and universities program, where students at a university partner with the organization to identify a child in their community who would love to have their college sports dream come true.

After months of searching, Hurn found the perfect one, Ashtyn Gutshall. 

Gutshall is a 13-year-old girl from Newville, Pennsylvania. She was born with spina bifida and has undergone 16 surgeries throughout her life which have led to difficulties with balance and running.

Despite her challenges, she is a strong and determined young girl with a love for swimming, gymnastics, farming and most of all, watching sports. 

She has previously participated with the SU swim team through the Special Olympics. 

Her big dream was to spend time with college athletes and be a VIP at a Shippensburg University swim meet and SU was ready to make that happen. 

On April 15, Gutshall attended a tennis match with her mom and little to her knowledge, she was about to get some great news. 

After the match, Rupert and Nealon, along with the SU tennis team, brought Gutshall to the locker room in Henderson to show her her very own locker. 

She also received fun Ship Swag, goodies and the news that she was selected as SU’s Dream Kid and would be asked to come for a Dream Weekend the following week. 

Her festivities started on Friday afternoon when Hurn picked up Gutshall and her family to go to Volvo’s Customer Center in Shippensburg so “Ashtyn could test drive some of their equipment and get a tour of all the amazing work that they do.” 

She was able to test out excavators to dig some dirt and drive a company truck. 

Since Gutshall is involved with Future Farmers of America, the experience was a great way for her to get hands-on experience with machinery equipment and create life-long memories. 

Following the visit to Volvo, Gutshall and her family finished their first day by meeting Nealon, Silvestre and Koch at a special dinner and dessert. 

Saturday was where the real fun started. 

Gutshall’s VIP day started bright and early with breakfast at the on-campus Marriott and then a trip to the track meet happening at Seth Grove Stadium. 

She met the SU throwers and took a picture with them. 

Her next stop was at women’s lacrosse at Robb Sports Complex. 

Assisted by SAAC representatives Anne Rathgeb and Sydney Fowler, Gutshall was taken out with the team for the lineup and then participated in their huddle before the start of the game. 

She was able to hang out with the team on the sidelines before heading over to Fairchild Field to see baseball. 

Before the start of the baseball game, Gutshall received a Ship baseball jersey and threw out the first pitch with the help of SAAC representatives Ty Sherman and Gio Calamia. 

She also had the chance to line up with the team for the national anthem. 

Gutshall’s next stop was to visit Rupert at her tennis match back at Robb Sports Complex. 

She was able to be a part of the Senior Day ceremonies and even received her own flowers before the match began. 

To complete Gutshall’s busy day, she was brought to Heiges Field House for a surprise pool party with SAAC representatives, swim team members, friends from Special Olympics and her family. 

Grimm, on behalf of the Department of Athletics, expressed “how exciting it was to team up with Dream on 3 and Volvo to help create an amazing Dream weekend for Ashtyn.” 

“We were lucky to share so much of Ship Athletics with Ashtyn,” said Grimm. “It was a true collaboration that would not have been possible without each and everyone’s contribution”

Furthermore, Nealon said, “We were delighted to host Ashtyn and her family and act as the liaison with Dream on 3 to support such a great initiative. Our athletes will treasure it as a rewarding experience and a testament to the difference we can bring to peoples’ lives through sports” 

Grimm and Nealon both extended huge “thank yous” to everyone who was able to make the event possible. 

Share