Kern Valley Sun

Rebecca Giddens, who won a silver medal in kayaking during the Olympic games in Greece this past summer, was welcomed back to her training ground with a gala celebration Saturday evening.

Kernville laid out the red carpet for Giddens with a party held at the Mountain & River Adventures Campground on the Kern River just north of Kernville that was attended by more than 250 well-wishers.

Rebecca Giddens, wearing her Olympic silver medal, holds up some of the certificates presented to her while being interviewed for Bakersfield television.

Giddens, 27, rode in perched on a classic 1947 Mercury convertible. She was presented proclamations and certificates from the offices of Gov. Schwarzenegger, Senator Ashburn, Assemblymember McCarthy and Supervisor McQuiston, as well as a ceremonial key to the town of Kernville. Refreshments were provided by many local restaurants and businesses and by local residents. The celebration was organized by Kernville residents Rhonda Stallone and Holly Ocampo.

"Everything was organized solely on donations," said Stallone. "The Golden Trout Bakery even made 'silver medal' cookies."

After the ceremony, under a canopy of sparkling lights strung over tables set up in the campground, Giddens posed for photographs with admiring fans. Dave and Jody Stauffer of Riverkern and their children Scotty, 4, and Django, 2, were just one of the many families who got their pictures taken with Giddens and her husband and coach, Eric, himself a member of the U.S. Olympic kayaking team in 1996. Giddens hung her silver medal around the necks of children in some of the photos.

She also gave on-camera interviews to Bakersfield television stations KGET and KBAK.

At the celebration Giddens seemed almost giddy about all the hoopla she's endured lately. "It's about the people of Kernville and the support of the whole Kern Valley that I've gotten through this experience," Giddens said.