The first UCF athletics event that Kimmy and Lynn Trivett attended in the early 1990s was a baseball game. So it was fitting last May when the couple made their first road trip after Kimmy was cleared by her doctors following radiation treatments for breast cancer that they headed to West Virginia to watch the Knights play Marshall.

With a clean bill of health, Kimmy enjoyed cheering on the Knights as they had a successful series against the Thundering Herd. She was overjoyed when the entire team signed a Mother’s Day card and joined her for a photo before the final game of the series.

The touching moment was one of many that Kimmy experienced during her battle with cancer as the UCF community rallied to offer encouragement. Kimmy and Lynn have supported UCF student-athletes and coaches in the stands at both home and away games for more than 20 years. The Knights showed the couple that they are part of the UCF family by offering that support right back.

“That was one of the most wonderful days in my life,” Kimmy said of Mother’s Day with the baseball team. “I had my last radiation treatment on Wednesday and we drove to West Virginia on Thursday. The whole team was so nice to us and seemed to appreciate us coming.”

Kimmy, a former teacher, and Lynn, a former football official, do not have children of their own but served as foster parents for several youngsters. When the couple from Titusville was done raising the children, they had more time to attend UCF events, and their love of the university and its student-athletes, coaches and fans began to grow.

“We have met an amazing bunch of people: coaches, players, parents and fans. We have seen some really great things,” Lynn said.

Those great things include nearly every football home and away contest, plus dozens of basketball and baseball games each year on campus and across the nation. Those road trips have only helped the couple connect with the Knights.

“We have gotten to know people. By going on road games, you become more connected with the players,” Kimmy said. “We know their struggles and can pray for them and encourage them academically as well.”

The couple’s love of baseball has always been apparent and was evident a few summers ago when they traveled to Elizabethton, Tenn., (which happens to be Lynn’s hometown) to watch former UCF ace Matt Fox pitch for the Twins’ minor league squad.

Baseball head coach Terry Rooney says that thoughtful instances like attending the professional game of a former Knight show the dedication and love that the couple has for UCF.

“It has been a great honor to get to know the Trivetts. We are so very fortunate to have a family like that associated with our program,” Rooney said. “Everybody knows them. All of our players know them. We are so appreciative of everything they do. “When you look up in the stands at the UCF baseball complex, you know where they are every single game. Then we look up when we are on the road, and they are there at a handful of away games. That is how much they care.”

The UCF family showed how much they cared about Kimmy and Lynn during her bout with cancer. Not only did the baseball team show its support, but so did student-athletes and coaches from other sports. A.J. Rompza presented Kimmy with a card and roses, his basketball teammates provided a signed jersey and football coach George O’Leary stopped by prior to a basketball game to offer encouragement.

“It was wonderful. That was so encouraging and loving,” Kimmy said. “I got very emotional.”

The Trivetts were touched by the concern that the UCF family had for her, just they impact student-athletes and coaches each day with their support.

“No matter what, win or lose, they are always there. They are true supporters, not only for our baseball program, but for every team here at UCF,” Rooney said. “They are part of the family.”

This story appears in the March issue of Knights Insider magazine. The publication, which is published six times per year, provides an inside look at UCF student-athletes, coaches and alumi.