Horizon League Student-Athletes Take Time To Give Back During Holiday Season

INDIANAPOLIS --- ‘Tis the season for giving and giving is exactly what some Horizon League schools have been busy doing the past couple of months.

Green Bay’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) made and delivered 16 tie blankets for children at the Pediatric Hematology Cancer Clinic at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay over Thanksgiving break.

“I had a fun time working on the tie blankets,” women’s golfer and Phoenix SAAC member Eleanor Yorobe (Bloomington, Minn.) said. “It was great to be able to hang out with all the other SAAC representatives and do something for other people. I love tie blankets myself, and I hope the kids who get them will really like them as well.”

Green Bay’s SAAC consists of 32 student-athletes from the school’s 16 Division I sports. The group participates in several community service projects throughout the year, helping Green Bay Athletics accumulate more than 4,000 community service hours annually.

The following weekend (Dec. 3), Milwaukee student-athletes helped out with the Special Olympics State Bowling Championship.

The students volunteered as lane helpers and scorers. This is part of an on-going partnership with UWM’s SAAC and Special Olympics.

Student-athletes are also scheduled to participate in the Polar Plunge in March under the team name "Polar Panthers."

"Our student-athletes have expressed a desire to increase their commitment to giving back to the community and our partnership with Special Olympics allows us to do that," Assistant Athletic Director Deidre Merritt said. "This also provides an opportunity to spend time with other athletes and there is a tremendous level of appreciation, respect and understanding between our student-athletes. We are excited about our relationship going forward and thankful to Special Olympics for allowing us to participate in such a great event."

Detroit’s softball team is not only preparing for the upcoming season, but they are also spending as much time as they can at the local Boys and Girls Club. The team started visiting the Boys and Girls Club a few times a week after sophomore Shelby Long initiated contact with the group because of a class project.

The team helps the children out with various activities and homework assignments. In addition, the team has been collecting hats and gloves for the children to use throughout the winter because they noticed that some of the kids didn’t have the proper clothing they needed.

Before coming to Detroit, Long was also involved with the Boys and Girls Club at home.

"I really loved my time there and I use to volunteer back home so when I saw that as an option, I thought it would be cool to get in there and give back. I know I enjoyed the experience and I wanted them to be able to have the experience I had,” Long said.

On Dec. 19, Loyola held a canned food drive at its men’s basketball game against Rockhurst University. The week-long food drive gave fans who donated a canned food item a free general admission ticket to the game.

Donations went to support local Chicago food pantries this holiday season. The Ramblers collected many canned food items during the drive thanks to everyone’s generosity.

Valparaiso’s men’s basketball team visited the Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago during a recent road trip to give gifts and share the holiday spirit. The athletes made Christmas cards and presents to give to the children. They also took part in a television game show simulcast throughout the hospital called “Body Parts”, helping host the show as well as assisting the children in playing along with the game.

“It’s a very special moment,” said junior captain Ryan Broekhoff. “It’s really heartwarming to be able to go in and bring smiles to the faces of kids who are in tough situations.  The time we spent there really meant a lot to everybody and is something we’ll cherish forever.”

The Horizon League is dedicated to the community service efforts of its student-athletes and believes that participating in service activities makes its student-athletes well-rounded individuals.