Cussen, however, wanted to keep the promise made by Hayes, and so the plans to compete in Hawaii finally became a reality this season. It was not a joke. The team began to do fund-raisers last year to pay for the trip. They sold afghan blankets with the ORU emblem at basketball and baseball games and hall meetings. Coach Cussen went to different companies and boosters to help raise donations.
Every coach does it here from top to bottom.
That's just part of the job description when you come here. It's not that ORU doesn't take care of you, but it's that all the coaches want to do that little bit extra. The trip started off with excitement during a layover at Los Angeles International Airport when the team ran into actor Danny Glover, and five minutes later found game show host Bob Barker, who was heading to Washington, D.C., to work on a bill to help control the pet population. Thanks to sophomore midfielder Tiffini Flickinger's outgoing nature, the team got pictures taken with Glover and Parker. The team is not allowed to return to Hawaii until four years from now, due to the NCAA's Hawaii exemption.