East Islip NY’s altruistic varsity softball team attended this year’s “Have a Heart for the Homeless” Candlelight Vigil for the Homeless event at Farmingdale College on April 8, an annual event sponsored by the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless.

The softball squad volunteered their time by handing out winter coats, nonperishable food items, candles and bracelets, and each member of the East Islip team personally donated items for the homeless such as clothing, baby items, toiletries and canned goods.

Source: http://www.eischools.org/

The Indiana University Kokomo teams are trying to not only make an impact on the playing field but also in their community. Over the past few weeks all four Cougar teams have participated in community event in Kokomo.

Most recently the men’s basketball team participated in the “Truffle Shuffle” where the team walked a mile in the Cole Fitness Center and received a truffle when they completed the walk. The walk was hosted by IU Kokomo’s Ribbon Warriors and the proceeds from the walk went to breast health programs in central Indiana.

On March 29, the women’s volleyball team spent their Saturday working with Habitat for Humanity. The players and coaching staff spent the day painting, insulating the house, and installing shelves for the house located just north of the Cougar Gym on Apperson Way.

“We were able to work side by side with the actual future homeowner. Our team was able to see firsthand the joy this man has over owning his first home,” coach Heather Hayes said, “We feel blessed to have been a small part of helping this man reach his dream.”

The Habitat organization will be building every Saturday and for more information on how to volunteer visit www.habitatkokomo.com/. Hayes and her team had a great afternoon working and would encourage others to volunteer when they can.

“The opportunity allowed for great team building as well as our team to learn a bit about home construction. We shared laughs when we dropped paint on our heads and learned that cutting when painting does not mean we actually cut the wall,” Hayes said, “I highly respect those that organize this program and spend countless hours helping improve the lives of others.”

The IU Kokomo men’s and women’s cross country teams participated in the “Old Ben 5k Run” on March 8. The run benefits the Indiana University Kokomo Alumni Association who in turn offer scholarships to “IU Kokomo students who show academic success, outstanding character, and/or participate in extracurricular activities on campus” (IU Alumni Association). Head coach Jason VanAlstine values the support the community gives his team and wants to return the favor when they can.

“Our athletes do a lot of volunteer work at the local level to show the community that we support them just like they support us during our competitions” VanAlstine said, “It also shows the athletes that we have a civic responsibility to help those in need.”

Athletic director Brandon Podgorski emphasizes the importance of volunteer work to the coaches and players and is pleased that the teams have embraced the idea of volunteering.

“I’m very proud of our student-athletes and coaches for their work in the community and on-campus.” Podgorski continued, “These are opportunities that will leave a greater legacy than what they will do athletically.”

Source: http://kokomoperspective.com/kp/iu-kokomo-student-athletes-reach-out-to-community/article_6c2e61fe-c5a0-11e3-9c11-001a4bcf887a.html

Community service and military appreciation are two causes to which the George Washington University and GW Athletics are deeply committed.

Every student-athlete at GW performs at least 10 hours of community service each academic year, and the private university has been ranked among the ‘Best for Vets’ according to Military Times.

It’s with these two tenets in mind that the GW golf program has paired with the Salute Military Golf Association (SMGA), whose mission is “to provide rehabilitative golf experiences and family-inclusive golf opportunities for post-9/11 wounded war veterans in an effort to improve the quality of life for these American heroes.”

“Our whole program is very excited about this partnership with the SMGA,” said first-year Head Coach Chuck Scheinost. “After arriving in DC, I knew I wanted the team to give back to our nation’s heroes who have given so much for our country and the freedoms that we enjoy every day.”

GW golf began its partnership with the SMGA the weekend of March 22, 2014 by hosting the inaugural Colonial Cup – a Ryder Cup-style match play event against the SMGAs top players at Argyle Country Club in Silver Spring, Md. The Colonials will also assist veterans in the SMGAs eight-week clinic program this coming weekend at the organization’s flagship location at Olney Golf Park.

“We will be working with them on short game, which is one of the foundations of the game,” said Coach Scheinost. “It will push our guys to learn how to teach adaptive golf swings, which in turn will help them become better communicators in the long run.”

The new relationship between GW and the SMGA extends beyond the university and athletics department’s commitments to community service and the nation’s military. The organization’s co-founder and president, Jamie Winslow, is both a GW alumnus and four-year golf letterwinner for the Colonials from 1983-87.

Winslow, who earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at GW, paired with childhood friend and former PGA Tour professional Jim Estes to form the SMGA in 2006.

The idea, initially outlined on a napkin at a sports bar, was born from Veterans Appreciation Day events hosted at Olney by Estes, as well as the impact of 9/11 on Winslow, whose office as Senior Director for Government Affairs at the Sumitomo Corporation sits almost directly across the street from the White House. “I’ll never forget the emotions I had on that day when our country came under attack,” said Winslow.

The duo has since grown the SMGA into a non-profit organization that has helped thousands of wounded veterans, spawned several chapter and affiliate programs across the nation and helped Estes earn the PGA of America Patriot Award in 2010.

“While the original drive for co-founding the SMGA was to meld a love of country and golf to support our nation’s combat wounded warriors, what continues the drive today is that I know the program works,” said Winslow. “I’ve seen first-hand, time and again, the positive impact the game of golf has had on the mental and physical rehabilitation programs of post-9/11 wounded and injured veterans.”

Winslow cites his MBA from GW as key to helping start and grow the SMGA, from the initial stages in forming the non-profit, to day-to-day management and charting the organization’s strategic plan for expansion. Now, he’s helping to give back to others at his alma mater.

“The truth is that GW and golf have both been a part of my life for nearly 40 years,” said Winslow, whose father, Dr. Erik Winslow, is professor emeritus and co-founder and co-director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence at GW. “That I can introduce SMGA to the Colonials’ golf team is just really cool. I can’t applaud Coach Scheinost and GW enough for taking an active interest in the SMGA for their community service program.”

The combination is a win-win for both teams according to Coach Scheinost and Winslow.

“This allows the warriors to push their game to another level and be engaged in a challenge,” added Coach Scheinost. “We know that both the warrior golfers from the SMGA and our GW team will benefit from this great partnership.”

“I think the pairing of GW and SMGA will be beneficial – educational for both sides,” said Winslow. “Not only will these student-athletes be introduced to a world where many of them probably had no experience, but SMGA’s own warriors will be given an opportunity to showcase their talents as well. That opportunity only provides even greater momentum to continue with their recovery.”

Source: http://www.gwsports.com/sports/m-golf/spec-rel/041614aaa.html

ROCHESTER, Mich. – Throughout the year, Oakland’s student-athletes realize how important it is to seek opportunities to make a difference in the community whenever possible. Though they all have busy schedules, the Golden Grizzlies make time for those in the surrounding communities, lending a hand in various ways. March provided many opportunities for teams to serve with March Reading Month among other outreach chances.

The volleyball team read to elementary kids for March Reading Month March 17-21. The team partnered with the Avondale School District and was able to read to second and third grade classes, sharing stories of books by Michigan native authors as well as stories about volleyball at the college level.

The Oakland men’s soccer team volunteered with the Older Person Commission on March 30. The men made a difference by delivering meals to home-bound senior citizens with their Meals on Wheels program. Cumulatively, the team delivered to 10 different routes, serving about 60 older people

Men’s basketball served the community numerous times in the recent months. On March 26, the team visited Auburn Elementary in Auburn Hills for Literacy Night. The team was accompanied by members of the men’s swim team and women’s golf team as well and read pirate-themed books to the Auburn students for the school’s celebration of March Reading Month.

On April 2, men’s basketball visited Hamlin Elementary in Rochester Hills and read with students from all three of Hamlin’s third grade classrooms, as well as answered questions related to the importance of being a good student. April 8 provided another service opportunity as the team visited Michigan Technical Academy (MTA) in Redford and read with the fifth graders while also answering questions about college and the importance of education. The team also played games with the MTA students in the gym.

The swimming and diving team headed the community service project, “Water to Water” at Oakland University. Sunday, April 13 was the third annual event for OU. Every sport was represented and staff members from Student Services, Compliance, Athletic Training, SAAC, and Strength and Conditioning participated as well. Through the event, OU was able to raise over $1,300, which, according to the Thirst Relief Organizers, will save over 200 lives by providing numerous clean water filters and wells.

#FightOakland

Source: http://www.ougrizzlies.com/genrel/041614aab.html

OXFORD — A program striving to enrich the lives of sick children is becoming an official student organization at Miami University.

Swoop’s Stoop — started in 2010 by then Miami student and hockey player Cody Reichard — sends student-athletes from the university to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to visit with sick children and brighten their day through fun activities.

“It’s a really unique experience we can give to the kids because a lot are stuck in the hospital with horrible illnesses,” said Sarah Chaney, a junior at Miami and member of the women’s volleyball team.

Members from all varsity sports across the university have been making visits to the hospital since the 2010-11 school year, but it’s just now seeking to become an official, organized on-campus student group, said John Strawser, a 1986 graduate of Miami who serves as a mentor to the organization.

Strawser said he first became a mentor to Reichard — now a professional hockey player — in 2010 when Swoop’s Stoop approached the university’s Red & White Club, the athletics fundraising arm, for support.

“Cody is very passionate and it affected him and changed his life,” Strawser said. “To take the kids away from the environment they’re in, if just for an hour.”

The student-athletes visit the downtown Cincinnati hospital to play with the children, deliver blankets and gifts to the patients, and lend a hand and an ear to parents in need of a break, said Lisa Hall, operations coordinator of Child Life and Integrative Care department at Cincinnati Children’s.

“They hangout in the activity room and do whatever the kid wants; it’s a huge distraction for them,” Hall said. “Parents are here months on end … it’s nice to know there’s somebody else that can play with their kid if they need a break.”

Chaney said groups of student-athletes will be at the hospital April 25-26 as a roll out event to the official student organization.

A goal of Swoop’s Stoop is to raise about $12,000 to purchase a themed cover for an MRI machine at the hospital — such as pirate ship, jungle or castle — to make the machines “less scary,” Chaney said.

Chaney said the group also hopes to further extend its help to parents through catered lunches or gift cards.

“(The students) are blessed athletically, and most academically, but they’re understanding at a very young age it’s good to give back and help out, and that’s fulfilling to see,” Strawser said.

Source: http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/miami-athletes-dedicate-off-field-time-to-children/nfbfd/