Casey Patterson is, as you have likely noticed by now, not competing in the Cancun Bubble. He and Chase Budinger were signed up for the first and third events. But a light – light! – knee injury just days before they were set to leave forced them to withdraw from the events.
It left them not only without the ability to compete, but it also left them with a bill for the hotel room they never stayed in.
Yes, that is correct: The Grand Oasis Cancun, the hotel housing all of the FIVB players and staff, did not give Patterson and Budinger a refund for their hotel room, despite them not staying at the actual hotel for a single night.
It’s not the most expensive hotel in the world – but it’s not cheap, either, leaving Patterson and Budinger with a $700-plus bill.
No matter.
Patterson is a Chasing Gold athlete, and Chasing Gold takes care of its athletes. Patterson’s room cost has been covered by Chasing Gold. It makes for a good punctuation mark to the debut event in which Chasing Gold is providing funding for athletes.
All told, five players had their hotels covered, and all seven currently competing in Cancun — Tri Bourne, Trevor Crabb, Emily Stockman, Kelley Kolinske, Bill Kolinske, Sarah Sponcil, Kelly Claes — had their flights covered. To reduce the oftentimes-exorbitant expenses of the athletes competing — flights and hotels for non-main draw teams for three weeks in Cancun could run upwards of $5,000 — is an enormous burden to lift for our American athletes.
We’d love your help continuing to do so. There are two Olympic qualifying events remaining, in Sochi, Russia; and Ostrava, Czech Republic.
Cancun has officially been covered. Now it’s time to begin getting our athletes’ expenses reduced, or fully paid for.
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