Flips For Tips

By Vasthil Patino

The last home football game of this season last week has brought an end to the tailgating parties and to “Flips for Tips,” the main fundraiser for the Texas Tech Gymnastics Club.

Rudy Fernandez, the president for Texas Tech Gymnastic Club, said the fundraiser flips for tips helps the club pay for their meet expenses.

“We go around all the major tailgate areas and ask people to give us donations for a gymnastics show,” Fernandez said. “We will do back handsprings, backflips, fun flips on the concrete, and raise money that way.”

Kelsey Rangel, a member of the club, said this year they added a stationary station where they had set mats and a mini trampoline.

“We have a group there that goes and does bigger tricks that we can do on the concrete,” Rangel said.

Rangel said another group walks around every tailgating party asking if they would like to see a flip for a tip.

She said people will ask them to perform what they would like to see.

“We do from a running fold to a handstand contest, you know, whatever gets the crowd going to help us out,” Rangel said.

Daniel Wuthnow, also a member of the club, said the type of performance varies depending on the amount of the tip.

“If we get a dollar, we get one person to do a black flip,” Wuthnow said, “and if we get like five dollars, we get a bunch of people to do a back flip after another.”

Wuthnow said this fundraiser has not been the most efficient when a home game is schedule at 11 a.m.

“In 11 a.m. games, no one is up when we go out, that’s why we did not get a lot of tips,” Wuthnow said.

Fernandez, the president of the club, said they average $500 to $800 a home game. Fernandez said this year they have done four performances and have average about $600 in each performance. He said they also perform their fundraiser in other locations such as groceries stores.

“But for some reason, the tailgates work out the best for us,” Fernandez said.