Mary Garbutt’s hand-made mascot becomes a hit at MGSH.
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Courtesy of Cathie Soller
Maple Grove Senior High girls swim and dive team has been proud to have their own mascot for the last year: Swimmie. Modeled after the school mascot Leafie, Swimmie has become much more than just the face of the team.
In January, 2015, Grace Heitzig, a member of the swim team, passed away. Shortly following was the team’s scheduled annual potluck and, in an effort to lift spirits, Grace’s aunt, Mary Garbutt, created Swimmie with a glue gun and materials from JoAnn’s Fabrics as a team mascot to attend the potluck to bring humor and unity to the event.
“From that moment on, Swimmie took on a whole other life to provide spirit and smiles for the swim team,” Garbutt says.
