Sarah Rodler, 8, from Austria hugs Michaela McAvoy, 6, from England at the Sunshine Foundation’s annual reunion in Orlando held in 2002. Though they don’t share a language, the girls are united by Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria, a rare disorder that causes premature aging. The nonprofit hosts the gathering each year for children living with the condition. KATHY M HELGESON | TAMPA TRIBUNE STAFF
A teenager leaps from a bridge into the Root River in Lanesboro, Minn., a popular summer spot for locals seeking relief from the heat. KATHY M HELGESON
Sara Brummer, 5, of Plant City, excitedly points to the next float during the 2001 Plant City Strawberry Festival parade. The float that captured her attention was a space shuttle-shaped entry by the Museum of Science & Industry. KATHY M HELGESON | TAMPA TRIBUNE STAFF
A welding student at Dunwoody College of Technology fabricates talons for the school’s new hawk mascot. KATHY M HELGESON | DUNWOODY STAFF
Spectators watch fireworks in Hudson, Wisconsin. KATHY M HELGESON
A child battling a form of cancer gets treatment at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. KATHY M HELGESON
Students play a game of limbo while listening to jazz music at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. KATHY M HELGESON | UWRF STAFF
A patron aboard the SS Victory Ship prepares to launch Cuban Bread at the attackers Sunday, January 25, 2009, during the Ybor City Naval Invasion, a Tampa parade tradition for more than 50 years. KATHY M HELGESON | TAMPA TRIBUNE STAFF
Student musicians rehearse with the St Croix Valley Symphony Orchestra. KATHY M HELGESON | UWRF STAFF
Colleen Gosen, a University of San Diego student, celebrates an overtime win against Connecticut Friday, March 21, 2008, at the St. Pete Times Forum during the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship first round play. KATHY M HELGESON | TAMPA TRIBUNE STAFF
Students sled down a hill on the University of Wisconsin–River Falls campus. KATHY M HELGESON | UWRF STAFF
Family and close friends gather to say their goodbyes to the honorary mayor of Gibsonton, Fla., as he grows closer to dying. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer just months before. KATHY M HELGESON | TAMPA TRIBUNE STAFF
