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 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ community rallied to offer encouragement. Kimmy and Lynn have supported Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ 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 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ 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 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ 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 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ 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 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.

“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 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ 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 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ 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 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ 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 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½,” 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 Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ student-athletes, coaches and alumi.

It’s a guarantee that Kimmy and her husband Lynn will do all they can to attend every single Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ athletics event possible. Last year was no different. They traveled to every away football game. This Thursday’s game against ECU is Knights for Pink, which supports the fight against breast cancer. Shortly after the season ended, Kimmy was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I went to see the surgeon and he told me ‘We have found something. We just want to do a biopsy,” Kimmy said. “Of course, I’ve been there before and had problems, but everything was fine… In the end of January when we went back to the surgeon we walked back into his office and he said ‘Well I hate to tell you this, but you have breast cancer.’ It was something I never would have expected.”

Kimmy had to go through 30 radiation treatments to fight off the cancer. Just this week, she completed her final treatment. It was obviously a difficult time for both Kimmy and Lynn. One of the things they were most disappointed about was the disease kept them from attending many of the Knights’ away basketball and baseball games.

While the Trivetts weren’t in attendance at some games, they were never forgotten. During her fight with cancer, many of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ teams did everything they could to show the Trivetts they were in their prayers. Kimmy recalls one moment with former Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ basketball player A.J. Rompza.

“We came over for the football signing party and he just said ‘I have a card for you and I hear you’re going to be on campus,'” Kimmy said. “We were in the big part of the arena and A.J. came in with this beautiful card and then in his other hand he had 18 long-stem roses. Needless to say, I got very emotional.”

Another unexpected surprise from the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ staff came during last year’s ECU basketball game. Lynn won courtside seats for the game at a silent auction for Kimmy’s Valentine’s Day gift. Neither of them knew that game was breast cancer support night.

This show of support included a signed jersey by every player and coach.

“It was just a wonderful evening and after the game every player came across the court and gave me a hug,” Kimmy said. “That was so encouraging and loving. That was one of the best nights of my life.”

“We had a lot of support and a lot of that support came from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½,” Lynn Trivett said. “We didn’t realize it at the moment, but it didn’t take long to find out about it. Not only from friends and acquaintances, but from a lot of the athletes. We received cards, text messages and words of encouragement from every aspect of the athletic department.”

To watch a video of the Trivetts’ story, visit the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Athletics website.