Tulane student-athletes continued their community service efforts last Friday, July 11, as five large groups consisting of Green Wave student-athletes and staff ventured out into the Greater New Orleans area to volunteer their time at a variety of locations.

The work done by the student-athletes is a continuation of a community service initiative that the Tulane athletic department has committed to participating in around the Greater New Orleans area every Friday of the summer.

Some football and men’s basketball players headed to a blighted home in Kenner to clean up the inside of the dwelling through the Youth Rebuilding New Orleans program. Devon Breaux, Trey Cammisa, Junior Diaz, Marc Edwards, Justyn Shackleford, Eric Thomas and Marshall Wadleigh of the football squad joined up with Louis Dabney and Tre Drye of the men’s basketball team to remove old, ruined furniture in addition to cleaning out shelving and closets.

YRNO is a non-profit volunteer organization created and organized by the youth of New Orleans. The organization’s efforts are directed at bettering the lives of New Orleans’ youth. Many young people who wanted to volunteer to help rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina were turned away by other non-profits because of the liability associated with reconstruction work. Instead of accepting this rejection, a committed group of teenagers decided they would find a way to help the New Orleans community recover.

Closer to the Tulane campus, footballers Ade Aruna, Tyler Gilbert, Rob Kelley, Andre Robinson, Parry Nickerson and Richard Allen teamed up with track and field star Daliadiz Ortiz, men’s basketball swingman Jay Hook and women’s basketball players Tiffany Dale and Caylah Cruickshank at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, where they spread cheer to many of the youngsters being treated for illnesses there. The student-athletes met with children, while passing out a variety of Tulane memorabilia while talking with the patients and their families.

On the other side of Claiborne Ave., football and baseball star Richard Carthon and his gridiron teammates Brandon LeBeau, Tanner Lee, Nico Marley, Darion Monroe, Taurean Nixon, Devin Powell, Josh Rounds, Jason Stewart, Lazedrick Thompson, Arturo Uzdavinis and Fudge Van Hooser spent the afternoon playing with children in grades first through fifth at a summer day camp, located at Lafayette Academy Charter School on Carrollton Ave. Many of the student-athletes played basketball with some of the older children, while others dished out snacks and colored with some of the younger campers. Stewart and Van Hooser even built things with Legos with some of the children.

A select few took to the streets of New Orleans to help the mission of Green Light New Orleans, which is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2006 to assist in the sustainable rebuilding of New Orleans by using volunteers to install free energy-efficient light bulbs and backyard vegetable gardens to demonstrate that a mass movement of individual actions creates a significant impact on the New Orleans environment and community. Women’s basketball’s Danielle Blagg, Adesuwa Ebomwonyi, Tierra Jones and Morgan Rogers headed to some homes alongside women’s tennis’ Emily Dvorak, football’s Jarrod Franklin, Jamar Thomas and Logan Hamilton, men’s basketball’s Cameron Reynolds and Ryan Smith and baseball’s Brady Wilson to do some gardening.

Lastly, a large contingent of football players in Quinlan Carroll, Bob Bradley, Leonard Davis, Sean Donnelly, Brandon Godfrey, Brandon Purcell and Anthony Taylor worked with Jonathan Stark and Payton Henson of the men’s basketball squad, Chinwe Duru, Kolby Morgan, Jamie Kaplan and Paije Hall of the women’s basketball program and Lauren Arnold of the swimming and diving team to work with the St. Paul’s Homecoming Center, which is another non-profit organization that focuses on rebuilding homes and businesses that were affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Issac. The group spent some time at KIPP Believe – formerly Benjamin Banneker – where they primed walls for painting and moved furniture into all of the classrooms.

“Our student-athletes are making a huge impact this summer,” stated Tulane ASC senior academic counselor Charlotte Battiest. “They are doing a great job giving back to the community. Whether it’s playing with the kids, gutting homes, or doing school renovations, they are committed to our program.”

Source: http://www.tulanegreenwave.com/genrel/071514aaa.html

It is now a four-man race in the TD Ameritrade Fan’s Choice Award and BYU’s Bret Lopez made the cut to round three.

In what started out as a 16-player ballot, Lopez advance to the second round of 12, with the winner being selected by a daily vote on Facebook for a July 3 live interview on ESPN during the NCAA Home Run Derby. Fans can vote daily for Lopez at http://tinyurl.com/o2tjxw8. The nominees have been selected not only for their baseball performance, but also for their service contributions.

“Bret has exceptional leadership skills, some of the best we have worked with in the past ten years,” Bob Wakefield, BYU Athletic Service Coordinator said. “He is married, but still finds time for his sport and studies. He wants to go to PA school after he graduates.”

Lopez, a senior from Orem majoring in exercise science, plans to graduate this December now that his time as the Cougar designated hitter has come to an end. The honorable mention All-Academic West Coast Conference player plans to take the GRE in July and hopes to become a physician’s assistant, so he begins applying for graduate programs in August.

Last fall he was acting president for BYU’s Student Athletic Activities Council, serving as co-chair along with Liz Wilson of the track team.

In heading that service organization, he spoke at an Eagle court of honor in Salt Lake City. Lopez was one of 10 Eagle Scouts on BYU’s baseball team.

Lopez helped the SAAC and other Cougar athletes set up activities like Sports Hero Day for over 1,000 elementary students last January 16.

“Those kids got to workout with sports teams interact with student athletes to see that we are normal people and we could show them the dedication it takes to compete in college,” Lopez said.

“My favorite part of Cougar Council was helping out with Sub for Santa last Christmas,” Lopez said. “We had fundraisers and made money for a family in need. We contacted local church Bishops to identify families in need of help. We separated the names amongst us to give them a decent Christmas. Families were grateful and knew we were coming so that we could address their needs.”

As SAAC co-chair he informed student athletes about upcoming legislation. He helped organize buddy teams, which would support another team at BYU. For instance, Lopez and the Cougar baseball team was paired with women’s basketball.

Lately Lopez has been working out with the younger brother of Cougar basketballer Skyler Halford.

“We grew up best friends in high school (both Skyler and Bret went to Timpanogos High),” Lopez said. “I’m helping his younger brother with baseball.”

At 24-years-old, Lopez, who teammates teased by calling him “grandpa,” was one of six married players on BYU’s baseball team. He has been married to Taryn Roberts for just over one year. She was a recreational therapist and worked at Telos Academy in Orem, a boy’s treatment center.

“They started a sports program there,” Lopez said. “I assisted them and told those youth how I found happiness and peace through baseball.”

Lopez was one of 10 returned missionaries on BYU’s baseball team. From 2008-10 he served one year in Puerto Rico and a year in Aruba and Curarco.

Source: http://byucougars.com/m-baseball/lopez-makes-cut-final-voting-fans-choice-award

Emporia State student-athletes logged 3,406 community service and engagement hours in the 2013-2014 academic year. With 370 students wearing a Hornet uniform that works out to over a full day’s work for every student-athlete on campus.

Community service and engagement is a pillar of Emporia State and NCAA Division II athletics. The objective of community engagement and service is to build relationships by bringing the Emporia and Flint Hills area communities together with Hornet Athletics to share experiences away from the field of competition.

“Community Service is a vital part of our student-athlete development program,” said Emporia State Senior Associate Athletic Director Carmen Leeds. “We strive to develop our student-athletes in the classroom, through athletic competition and within the community. The City of Emporia and the entire Flint Hills region is supportive of Emporia State Athletics and our student-athletes enjoy getting out and helping in the community to give support back to those in need. Each year our student-athletes participate in community service and hopefully this will develop a lifelong commitment to volunteerism.”

Hornet student-athletes were involved in over 30 different community service and engagement activities that spanned all age and socio-economic groups. The main events for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee were the Eighth Annual Senior Prom – a Hootin’ Hornet Hoedown, and Logan Avenue STREAM Day. The Senior Prom is a free event for adults 55 years or older that allows them to mix and dance with Hornet student-athletes in Emporia State’s Memorial Union Webb Hall. The STREAM Day saw all of the students of Logan Avenue Elementary School on the Emporia State campus with every sport providing a mini clinic as part of the day’s activities.

Other activities by the various sports programs include mentoring elementary students during lunch and breakfast, taking part in Clean Sweep Emporia – a community wide clean up project for the city of Emporia, the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics, Wahoo at the Zoo – a fundraising event for a new lemur exhibit at the David Traylor Zoo, Camp Alexander Haunted Trail and visits at assisted living facilities throughout the community.

“The Emporia area always show us support on and off the field, so this is our way to show our gratitude and to give back to the community,” said women’s track and field All-American and 2013-14 SAAC President Nikki Wetstein.

This is the third straight year the Hornets have accumulated over 3,000 hours of community service and engagement. In the last decade Emporia State student-athletes have logged over 25,000 hours of service to the Emporia region.

Source: http://www.esuhornets.com/news/2014/7/10/BB_0710143006.aspx

Each member of the NC State football team is required to spend a minimum of 10 hours per year helping others – that translates to well over 1,000 hours per year!

Giving back to the community is a major point of emphasis for Wolfpack athletics. NC State student-athletes work with the Student-Athlete Development office to make a positive impact on the local community and champion community service and involvement, participating in numerous events.

2013-14 Highlights:

NC State Athletics raised over $100,000 for local, national, and international charities, including approximately $75,000 for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund from initiatives including Hoops for Hope game and the Spring Football game.

Ten Teams participated in Kay Yow Cancer Fund Awareness games during the season.

Student-athletes volunteered at over 60 different non-profit organizations and schools resulting in over 3,300 hours of community service.

49 student-athletes participated in Wolfpack Blitz in March and spoke to nearly 3,000 children at 15 elementary schools about the importance of positive character traits.

NC State Athletic Teams provided Thanksgiving meals to 11 families in Wake County.

Student-athletes provided meals to over 1,000 homeless individuals on 20 different occasions through Athletes in Action.

1,000 toys were donated to Toys for Tots at a men’s basketball game.

NC State donated 1,388 tickets and 132 autographed items to various charitable organizations and schools to assist with fundraisers.

Visit the official Community Service website: http://1pack1goal.com/support-services/community-service.html

MALVERN, Pa. – Rising sophomore Abigail Bensley (Malvern, Pa.) of the Southern Connecticut State University gymnastics team recently participated in volunteer efforts at a Color Run event.

This event is just one example of many community outreach events that SCSU student-athletes will take part in as part of the Tim Greer Insurance Agency Community Service Cup.

Initiated in September, 2008, the ‘Community Service Cup’ program provides a competitive format that allows student-athletes to gain an enriched experience through engagement with the on-campus and local communities by supporting ventures of traditional citizens, campus community members and peer students and student-athletes. SCSU student-athletes volunteered more than 4,000 hours of their time to numerous outreach efforts, both on-campus and in Greater New Haven, during the 2013-14 academic year.

Source: http://www.southernctowls.com/news/2014/7/10/GEN_0710145807.aspx