FULLERTON : Doing a Good Turn for Michigan Gymnasts

A collegiate gymnastics team from Michigan came to California hoping for victory at a Cal State Fullerton meet.

But after $7,000 was stolen from a rental van, the members of the Western Michigan University women’s gymnastics team just hoped for a place to stay and a way to get back to Kalamazoo, Mich.

The team will compete in the meet today, but team members are resting more easily, not only because police found their airline tickets but, after an outpouring of support from throughout the area, they’ve recovered most of their money as well.

The team flew into Los Angeles on Tuesday, and after renting a van, drove to Hollywood to see some sights, said Gary Ehrman, assistant coach for the team. Their first stop was the Mann Chinese Theatre, but when they returned to the van after less than an hour, the front window was broken and their money and airline tickets had been stolen.

Los Angeles police initially told the team that very little could be done to get anything back, Ehrman said.

But the LAPD’s Community Relations Department made some calls and got the Hollywood Holiday Inn to put the team up free for the night. Team members are now in the Fullerton Holiday Inn. The team also received several thousand dollars from residents throughout Southern California, including about $2,000 from the LAPD’s Hollywood division, he said.