Sarah Lauerman took an interest in French culture and was intrigued by the sport of pétanque. She wanted to learn how to speak French and engage with the culture further, so she started a club around the sport. Now Lauerman is the president of Gainesville Pétanque, a club she started in 2017 with informal meetings. It has since grown to include 50 members and is played at two public courts in north Gainesville. And she had the sport included in the Gainesville Senior Games.