He’s a household name in the city of Durham and Duke Nation worldwide. It’s no surprise that Grant Hill supports his alma mater.

He has given back to Duke University on several different occasions. It was announced on Wednesday that Hill and his wife, Tamia, are donating $1.25 million to the university that started his basketball career.

Hill specified that Duke Athletics will receive $1 million for facility upgrades and $250,000 will go to the Duke Annual Fund, supporting Trinity College. Trinity College is Duke’s College of Arts and Sciences.

“As an outstanding example of a Duke student-athlete, Grant Hill became a beloved part of Duke’s history,” President Richard H. Brodhead said. “We’re grateful that Grant and Tamia have helped to ensure that Duke’s tradition of academic opportunities and remarkable student-athletes continue well into the future.”

Kevin White, Vice President and Director of Athletics, said Hill “represents the very best of Duke University.”

“This generous gift from Grant and Tamia will enhance the college experience of many future Duke students across several disciplines, including athletics,” White said. “The fact that it comes from someone who is synonymous with the excellence that defines this great institution make it even more special.”

The part of the contribution the Hill family made to the Annual Fund helped the Class of 1994 give $3,062,835 back to the school. That mark was an all-time giving record by a 20th reunion class.

“We are extremely grateful for the Hills’ generous pledge to the Annual Fund on behalf of the Class of 1994,” said the dean of Trinity College, Laurie Patton. “Annual Fund gifts to Trinity College have an immediate impact on the lives of our undergraduates. They enable to administration to act with speed and flexibility to develop innovative undergraduate programs, provide aid to our talented students, and recruit and retain the highest quality faculty.”

Hill was a four-year letterman for Duke back in 1991-94. He was on two National Championship teams (1991 and 1992) and was given honor after honor. He earned All-ACC and All-America accolades as well as being named ACC Player of the Year and National Defensive Player of the Year. He was the first player in the history of the ACC to amass 1,900 points, 700 rebounds, 400 assists, 200 steals and 100 blocked shots over his career. He was selected as the No. 3 overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, selected by the Detroit Pistons.

After his days at Duke, Hill spent 18 seasons in the NBA having playing stints with the Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers.

“Tamia and I are in a fortunate position to be able to give back to the university that did so much for me,” said Hill. “In the 20 years since my graduation, I am certain that the academic environment, the coaches and staff, and every facet of being a student at Duke contributed to make me a better person.”

Source: http://balldurham.com/2014/07/30/grant-hill-gives-back-1-25-million-duke/

NEWPORT NEWS, Va.—Student-athletes from The George Washington University won the Inaugural Atlantic 10 Conference Assists Challenge, a community service initiative that encouraged the reporting of 24,000 service hours by teams from 11 of the 13 A-10 institutions.

Originating last Fall by the Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the A-10 Assists Challenge organized community service projects its member teams were engaged in into a fun and competitive activity that increased the visibility and awareness of the A-10 SAAC. The initiative, which accomplishes the A-10 SAAC’s goals of community service engagement and awareness also helps promote both the community service activities the student-athletes complete and the organizations and causes they are assisting. The result was nine of the institutions reported more than 1,000 hours of community service and five of those nine reported more than 2,000 hours. In all, 23,710.25 hours of community service were reported.

“We have amazing student-athletes in the Atlantic 10 — I commend them on having completed nearly 24,000 hours of community service. Volunteerism is an important initiative in this country and the Atlantic 10 Conference is proud to be giving back to each of our communities,” stated Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade.

George Washington was declared the champion based on “institutional point value,” which is determined through a formula that considers total hours completed, number of student-athletes participating and total number of student-athletes at the institution. As a group, GW teams reported 5,130.75 hours of service, resulting in 29.83 points. Saint Joseph’s ended with 3,896 hours and 18.64 points to finish second and Duquesne had 3,475.5 hours, resulting in 18.34 points and third place.

“As an athlete, you have a responsibility to give back to the community because the community is supporting you,” said George Washington soccer player Jane Wallis earlier this year. “You’re an ambassador for the school. It’s part of your brand to give back to something bigger than you.”

Rhode Island rower Abbey Miklitsch said that “It was just nice to give back,” after the Rams community service efforts this year that included a food drive and an obstacle course competition that raised money for charity.

Service hours could be reported from any project the institution chose, but must have been reported by April 22 and could only include projects during the 2013-14 academic year.

For example, St. Bonaventure, through their program called “Little Bonas” met with the local youth once or twice a week for two hours to teach basic soccer skills, the result of which was 25 men’s soccer student-athletes conducting 14 sessions each for a total of over 700 hours. Duquesne’s campus SAAC held a shoe drive to help the organization One World Running. The Dukes collected new and used shoes to be donated, and VCU took part in celebrate!RVA, a group that believes in the magic of birthdays and arranges them for underprivileged children.

Beginning in January, participating institutions were able to track their progress on the Atlantic 10’s new official SAAC page on atlantic10.com. The result was a friendly competition that increased participation and helped further foster the relationship among the A-10 SAAC members.

If there was any doubt about the inaugural A-10 Assists Challenge being successful on an annual basis, that doubt is gone. Using the A-10 SAAC Video competition, which has grown in participation each year as an example, the first Assists Challenge is a harbinger of continued community service success across the A-10.

Source: http://www.atlantic10.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31600&ATCLID=209491445#.U9PZKyrDb3U.twitter

NEW ORLEANS – Mother Nature tried to put a damper on things, but Tulane’s student-athletes would not let a little rain ruin their day as over 60 Green Wave student-athletes held a health and wellness fair on Friday, July 24 for the youth of the Greater New Orleans area.

Local camps from around the area bused children in to spend time with the Green Wave student-athletes on the Tulane campus.

With rain pouring down for the first hour of the event held on Tulane’s LBC Quad, many of the student-athletes and campers took refuge inside the LBC, where the Green Wave student-athletes provided healthy snacks – like grapes and pineapple – for the youngsters.

Once the skies cleared up, everyone returned to the LBC Quad, where races were staged, water gun battles were held and a variety of other activities took place. A slew of inflatable obstacle courses and toys peppered the LBC Quad, allowing the children to have a blast while being active.

In addition to the fun had by all, the Green Wave student-athletes had the opportunity to chat with the children about the importance of proper nutrition and exercise.

“If happiness is what we are truly after, we must seek healthy relationships and habits to support our quest,” stated Academic Student Services Center for Student-Athletes assistant Israel Route.

Those student-athletes that participated included women’s basketball’s Danielle Blagg, Tiffany Dale, Caylah Cruickshank, Kolby Morgan, Adesuwa Ebomwonyi, Jamie Kaplan, Morgan Rogers, Paije Hall and Tierra Jones, swimming and diving’s Lauren Arnold, Jonna Frantz and Claire Schelske, track and field’s Daliadiz Ortiz and Estefany Cruz, men’s basketball’s Jay Hook, Keith Pinckney, Dylan Osetkowski, Josh Hearlihy and Cameron Reynolds, football’s Devon Powell, Darion Monroe, Lorenzo Doss, Sherman Badie, Tyler Gilbert, Nathan Shienle, Brandon LeBeau, Tanzel Smart, Parry Nickerson, Eric Thomas, Eric Bell, Leonard Davis, Quinlan Carroll, Rob Kelley, Andre Robinson, Xavier Rush, Aaron Bryant, Tanner Lee, Marc Edwards, Andrew DiRocco, Logan Hilton, Robert Kennedy, Matthew Bailey, Lazedrick Thompson, Sean Donnelly, Eldrick Washington, Daren Williams, Charles Jones, Justyn Shackleford, Kenneth Santa Marina, Chris Taylor, Devon Johnson, Alex Paul, Peter Woullard, Brandon Godfrey, Royce LaFrance, Eric Bowie, Fletcher Barnes, Dylan Richman, Stephen Lofton and Anthony Taylor, women’s tennis’ Emily Dvorak, Jacqui Katz and Zoe Gaber, men’s tennis’ Ian Van Cott and baseball’s Brady Wilson and Sam Martin.

The health and wellness fair was the final installment in what was a community-service laden summer for many of the Green Wave student-athletes. Each Friday this summer, the Tulane student-athletes ventured out into the Greater New Orleans community in order to improve the lives of those who call this city home.

“This ties into everything we did this summer, as we provided various services around the metropolitan area, touching the lives of many while developing strong relationships in the community,” said Tulane ASC senior academic counselor Charlotte Battiest. “This is what Tulane’s foundation is based upon, and we will continue to nurture and develop the vision of our Director of Athletics, Rick Dickson.”

Over the course of the summer, hundreds of Tulane student-athletes spent countless hours performing community service with a variety of local non-profit organizations, such as KIPP Believe, the Second Harvest Food Bank, the Tulane Cancer Center, the NFL Youth Education Town, the New Orleans Museum of Art, Bridge/Grace House, Youth Rebuilding New Orleans, Children’s Hospital New Orleans, Green Light New Orleans, the St. Paul’s Homecoming Center. Some Tulane student-athletes even participated in community service on and around Tulane’s Uptown campus.

Source:

Monroe, N.C.—-On Saturday, July 26, Benton Heights Presbyterian Church in Monroe hosted a Shoes of Hope distribution in conjunction with Samaritan’s Feet. Volunteers from the church, Piedmont High, Sun Valley High and Wingate University ministered to more than 130 children from Benton Heights Elementary. The Wingate University volunteers included student-athletes from the Bulldog men’s soccer and cheerleading teams.

The volunteers started by greeting the children and washing their feet. Afterwards, they fitted the children with new shoes and socks and gave each child a backpack filled with school supplies. Families also enjoyed snacks, arts and crafts and a photo booth.

“Each student spent individual time with a volunteer who shared Christ’s love by washing their feet,” Benton Heights Presbyterian Church pastor Paul Saleeby says. “This was a great opportunity for our church family to reach out to the community.”

SAMARITAN’S FEET

Samaritan’s Feet shares hope with children in the U.S. and around the world by washing their feet, giving them a new pair of shoes and helping the children believe that their dreams can come true. Samaritan’s Feet staff feels a new pair of shoes can be a tangible foundation of hope to a person in need.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Wingate University, ranked as the 8th “best value” in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,000 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration, and doctorates in pharmacy, physical therapy and education.

With a 14 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity.

In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past eight years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.

Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000’s with 67 selections. Among North Carolina’s colleges and universities, Wingate’s 67 Academic All-America® honorees are number one during this millennium. Wingate’s 76 lifetime Academic All-America® picks are tops among all SAC schools. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.

(Wingate University Admissions visit coordinator Jessica Teague contributed this article. Teague and her family are members at Benton Heights Presbyterian Church.)

Source: http://www.wingatebulldogs.com/news/2014/7/28/MSOC_0728143151.aspx

The Auburn University Athletics Department takes action to help in the fight against hunger through a partnership with the End Child Hunger in Alabama (ECHA) campaign article on http://www.wtvm.com/

“As an athlete, I feel like I have the opportunity to make an impact on and off the golf course. Kids living in our own communities are hungry, but we can do something about it. That’s why Amanda and I got involved with Blessings in a Backpack which provides snacks for kids to take home with them on the weekends during the school year. I’m proud to see my alma mater get involved in this important effort and wholeheartedly support it,” Dufner said.

The Auburn Athletics’ hunger initiative slogan, “Ever to Feed; Never to Need,” is a play on a line in the Auburn fight song, “Ever to Conquer; Never to Yield.”

“Our goal is to help raise awareness, raise money and help with food distribution. This is a wonderful community service opportunity for our student-athletes that will be our priority initiative,” Jacobs added.

Nearly 16 million children in America experience some kind of food insecurity. Of the more than 1 million children in Alabama, nearly one-third live in homes that experience food hardships.

“Having Auburn Athletics become a fully engaged partner in ECHA is a dynamic catalyst that will take our initiative to the next level. Together we will work to the best of our ability to ensure that all of our State’s children and youth have access to the nutritious foods that are required for healthy growth and development and productive citizenship,” said Harriet Giles, managing director of the Hunger Solutions Institute and chairman of the ECHA Task Force.

In addition to the partnership, Ivey also announced the great success of summer feeding programs in Alabama. ECHA exceeded its goal to increase the number of summer feeding sites and sponsors by 10 percent in 2014.

“When school is out for the summer, many students lose a reliable source of food at mealtimes. Working with the Department of Education, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wal-Mart Foundation, local charitable organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, and many other stakeholders, Alabama added 274 summer feeding sites in 2014 and enrolled 40,000 more students for summer lunch,” she said. “But we are just getting started.”

The goal of ECHA is to move Alabama from the bottom one-third of states with the greatest child food insecurity into the top one-quarter of states with the greatest child food security by 2020.”

Source: http://www.wtvm.com/story/26113817/auburn-athletics-partners-with-hunger-solutions-institute-in-end-child-hunger-campaign