UIC Athletics Spends Day Giving Back to the Community

CHICAGO - Each year in many cities across the United States there are thousands of families in need of food and beverages during the Thanksgiving Holiday. This year with the help of 40 University of Illinois at Chicago student-athletes, a handful of those needy residents were supplied with such groceries through the Care to Share family food program sponsored by the Christopher Zorich Foundation, which was founded by former Notre Dame and Chicago Bear defensive tackle Chris Zorich in 1993.

On November 20, UIC student-athletes helped distribute food to needy families in the Saint Sabina community on Chicago's south side. The student-athletes volunteered their time and effort for the event, along with Associate Athletic Director Susan Kovacs; Director of Men's Basketball Operations Andrew Haring; NCAA Faculty Rep Sylvia Furner, and Assistant Director of Marketing, Deb Fox.

"Everyone was pretty happy to do it. [The mood] was upbeat. It made everyone feel good to do something for the community," said Sean Kreymborg, a sophomore on the UIC men's tennis team who participated in the event.

The Care to Share program receives food and beverages from sponsors to assist needy Chicagoans at Thanksgiving. Residents' names for consideration are sent to the foundation by area churches, community groups, and non-profit organizations, while the volunteers such as UIC student-athletes, bag and deliver donated groceries to the chosen families. The program was started in 1993, and UIC athletics has been involved every year since its inception and from that time, Care to Share has provided food to over 20,000 needy Chicago residents.