Recognition Program

Helping others is part of the culture of the Rising Stars, a baton twirling club based in Auburn, Alabama. The Rising Stars received the 2025 USTA Helping Hands club award last summer at the 2025 U.S. National Championships, and Rising Stars member Annie Marine received the 2025 Helping Hands individual award.

"We were so honored to be granted the Helping Hands awards," said Rising Stars Coach Dr. Angela Gavin Smith. "Community service is such a normal part of the high school expectations in Alabama that it comes quite naturally to most of our girls."

Marine shared her time and talents with her community in many ways, including collecting and distributing food to those in need, and volunteering at a local nursing home.

She and her teammates also volunteered in a variety of ways, from performing at elementary schools and nursing homes, to serving as peer tutors to younger students. One member volunteered with an organization that provides support and childcare services to student mothers. A college-aged member participated in a program serving college students with special needs.

As a twirling team, the Rising Stars planned and led several events, including packing shoeboxes for Samaritans Purse.

"We made this a fun part of practice one day. We talked about the children who might receive our donated boxes and then each girl took time to select her items and pack them with care," Gavin Smith said. "We were able to collect money to cover the shipping costs and one of the moms volunteered to take them all to a local drop location."

In addition, the group collected food for a program called "Backpack Buddies" that provides a discreet bag of food supplies and personal items to underprivileged children to help them make it at home over the weekend without school-provided meals. The Rising Stars also gathered donations for Isaiah 58 Ministry, which supports women in crisis. The group's final project of 2025 was to support the "Auburn Sustenance Project," sponsored by Auburn University to provide meals to people experiencing food insecurity.

If you or your twirling group have done volunteer work or a community service project this year, submit a Helping Hands application by May 31, 2026 and you could be recognized at Nationals, in USTA publications, and on USTA's social media! Just complete the USTA Helping Hands Application and USTA Helping Hands Service Record Sheet and submit them by May 31. We can't wait to see how you've lent a "helping hand" in your community!