'Glee' Star Jane Lynch Shows School Spirit At Palmetto Pep Rally

PALMETTO — It turns out Sue Sylvester's not so bad after all.

Her TV character may have a reputation of being a bit of a bully, but actress Jane Lynch, who portrays the razor-tongued Sylvester on Fox's Glee, played the hero Friday to the students at .

She was in town for the school's spring pep rally and to attend a benefit for the Tigers' new rowing program. Lynch and her wife, Lara Embry, a former area resident, are major supporters of the team, which formed in January and just completed its first season. Palmetto's rowing team is the first of its kind at a Manatee County high school.

Lynch's car rolled up to the high school around 10 a.m. Friday, and she emerged wearing a red "Palmetto Crew" T-shirt to be greeted by some of the 25 or so members of the team.

The thunderous reception she received in the school's gymnasium and the excitement of the Palmetto students brought her "right back to high school," Lynch said. "It was overwhelming."

Lynch helped judge a school spirit competition, ruling that the sophomore class made the most noise and would be awarded the coveted "spirit stick." She also received a special performance from the Palmetto cheerleaders and introduced the rowing team on the floor of the school gymnasium.

Lynch and Embry said they are big supporters of the arts and sports in public high schools as budgets across the country are getting slashed. They took a red-eye flight in from their home in California to attend Friday's pep rally.

"The kids are great," Lynch said. "They're so psyched. "It's just amazing that rowing wasn't here a year ago, and look at all these kids, and they're so competitive and have done so well."

And what would Sue Sylvester think of rowing?

"Oh, she would love it," Lynch said. "It's so strenuous. I've actually seen people rowing and throw up at the end. She would love that."

Tenth-grade rower Lauren Kay Bedford, a huge Glee fan who records every episode, couldn't wait to meet Lynch.

"I'm gonna hug her," Bedford said.

Teammate Stephanie Brouwer, also a sophomore, doesn't watch the show but still couldn't believe a TV star was coming to Palmetto High.

"This puts us on the map," she said.

Lynch and Embry when they donated $15,000 to the fledgling program.

Embry, who lived in Sarasota for nine years and practiced psychology in Bradenton, is a friend and former rowing partner of Palmetto coach Trish Jackson.

Jackson said she's seen her squad make huge strides since its . The athletes — some of whom never played a sport in high school before — went from never having stepped foot inside a shell to holding their own at the high school state championships earlier this month in Sarasota.

"We definitely have made a reputation for ourselves, so next year we're just gonna come out faster and stronger," Jackson said. "We are blessed. We have a very young team, a lot of freshman and sophomores. I can't tell you how excited I am about that."

Lynch will be honored at a brunch Saturday at the River Wilderness Clubhouse off Fort Hamer Road in Parrish and co-sponsored by Rive Isle Golf and Nautical Estates. Tickets cost $50, with all proceeds going toward the purchase of boats, oars and rowing machines for the team.

Embry and Lynch had challenged the rowing club to raise an additional $5,000, which would be matched with another $5,000 by the pair. To meet that challenge, the team is also hosting a Chopper Dropper Fundraiser on Saturday. The $50 brunch ticket will also include one of 2,000 numbered golf balls to be dropped from a helicopter on the golf course. A grand prize of $25,000 will be awarded to the ticketholder whose ball lands closest to the designated pin.

There will also be a silent auction featuring signed memorabilia from Glee cast members at the brunch, which starts at 9 a.m. The ball drop will occur at 10 a.m.

For tickets and information, e-mail palmettocrew@gmail.com or contact Michael Longobardi at 941-776-1729 or Mike@RiveIsle.com.