GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Guntersville High School athletics teams are giving back to the community that supports them with a new school program.

Wednesday is a typical day at Guntersville High School. It’s also the countdown to Friday, when it seems as if much of the city of Guntersville packs the stands to watch their Wildcats play football.

This year though, those same Wildcats and other student athletes are working – literally – to give back to their city, with a program aptly called Wildcats Work. “They’re basically able to go out into our community and do community service type projects, whether it’s picking up trash, or helping the horticulture department spread mulch, or whatever it is,” Guntersville High School Principal Roseanne Mabrey says.

Mabrey says in addition to giving back to the community that has been supporting them throughout the years, the students are also getting something for themselves. “It’s character building, we feel like,” Mabrey says.

The program started this year, and so far it’s a win – win, both in and out of the game. “This is a way they can actually give back to those who support them,” Mabrey says.

Since the beginning of the school year, the Wildcats Work program has helped with multiple projects throughout the city of Guntersville.

DOVER, Del.- Delaware State University’s track & field and cross country teams spent part of their weekend giving back to the community. The Hornet student-athletes and coaches served as volunteers for the 2014 Delaware Senior Olympics Race Walk/Track & Field events at DSU’s Alumni Stadium on Sunday.

Dozens of Delaware seniors took part in the event, which consisted of running, jumping and throwing competition.

“This is an excellent way for our student-athletes to give back to the community and the sport,” said Delaware State Head Women’s Track & Field Coach Krystal McKenzie. “The University has been involved with Senior Olympics for a number of years, and I’m pleased that our teams are continuing the tradition.”

Delaware Senior Olympics, a member organization of the National Senior Games Association, began with 127 athletes in 1991. In 2014, more than 1,400 Delaware seniors are expected to participate in its statewide events.

Source: http://www.wboc.com/story/26536378/hornets-lend-a-hand-to-delaware-senior-olympics

Cleaning alleys, picking up trash and crafting homemade cards were three ways more than 300 students gave back to the community Sunday during the third-annual Community Plunge.

The event, in conjunction with the University of Cincinnati’s Center for Community Engagement, is a day of service and volunteering. The Community Plunge works with several partner sites including the American Cancer Society, St. Joseph Orphanage, the Pro Foundation and more. Students registered to participate through Campus Link and chose their volunteering site day-of.

The Community Plunge began as a partnership between the Center for Community Engagement and UC’s Greek Life, said Fran Larkin, CCE program coordinator.

This year’s event kicked off at 10 a.m. on McMicken Commons, offering 22 different Cincinnati organizations and agencies to choose from.

The event’s Greek partnership helped secure the support of Total Quality Logistics, a local company that focuses on hiring UC graduates, and which also has strong ties to the university’s Greek community. TQL provided breakfast for the volunteers before they were sent out.

The Plunge packed eight charter buses with student volunteers, according to Luke New, fifth-year marketing student and director of community service for UC’s Interfraternity Council.

Cassandra Thorpe, director of student athlete development, said the event was open to everyone on campus, but that it had a heavy Greek presence.

“More involvement [of organizations] increases participation,” Thorpe said. “As more word gets out, it’s definitely going to grow.”

The Plunge’s partner organizations allowed students to serve in a variety of ways. A street beautification non-profit called Spring in Our Steps put 24 students to work, cleaning alleyways in Northside as a part of its Allies for Alleys campaign.

The organization’s co-founder, Christian Huelsman, said the goal of the campaign is to create positive public spaces by cleaning up all 25 of Northside’s alleys. Spring in Our Steps has also worked on alleys closer to UC, including Shorre and Colby alleys, Huelsman said. Sunday’s event followed a similar one held Saturday that was open to all members of the community.

Not all participants got their hands dirty. One group of about 25 students was sent to Grace Hospice in Norwood, where they were put to work making cards for residents and their families for holidays and birthdays.

Hannah Scully, the site coordinator from the Community Plunge for the hospice group, said service like writing cards is just as important as labor-intensive service.

“It’s something that a lot of people don’t think about,” Scully said. “Picking up trash feels more like a chore. People are a little more excited to do this.”

Shelby Duncan, volunteer coordinator for Grace Hospice, said she was thankful for the students’ work.

“People who stay in hospices are usually in a lot of pain,” Duncan said. “Knowing that people are thinking of them is really special to them.”

Source: http://www.newsrecord.org/driven-to-serve-students-give-back-through-assorted-activites/article_584880b0-3969-11e4-a406-0017a43b2370.html

With the 2015 baseball season approaching, the Texas Tech baseball team took time out of their off season last week to make a surprise visit to Covenant Children’s Hospital, according to a Tech Athletics news release.

Members of the Tech baseball team, along with coach Tim Tadlock, took pictures, talked and presented autographed baseballs to the children staying at the hospital.

Tech baseball’s visit to Covenant Children’s Hospital is the first event organized by the Red Raider Reach Program.

The program, created by Clark Lammert, senior forward for Tech’s mens basketball team, looks to reach out to members of the Lubbock community by involving all of Tech’s athletic programs.

With a goal of helping Tech student athletes reach 2,000 community service hours this school year, the program schedules visits to local Lubbock hospitals for two Tech athletics teams each month.

The baseball, softball and track and field teams will make visits during the fall semester while the football, volleyball and soccer teams will schedule visits in the spring semesters once their seasons end.

Source: http://www.dailytoreador.com/sports/texas-tech-baseball-visits-local-children-s-hospital/article_2f8b7168-3edd-11e4-bc01-001a4bcf6878.html

CHICAGO – There were 240 Blue Demon student-athletes and managers gathered in McGrath-Phillips Arena on Tuesday as the DePaul Athletics Department Orientation program approached its conclusion.

They listened intently as Sr. Katie Norris, Director of Catholic Campus Ministry, prepared them for a special service project they were about to undertake.

Before long, the student-athletes were spread out across the arena floor and began to make blankets.

Sister Katie told them about the 600 children in day-care programs at the St. Vincent de Paul Center and the Marillac House whose parents were either working or attending school in an effort to better their families’ lives.

“The children use the fleece blankets when taking their naps,” Norris said. “Being away from home, lying in a cot six inches off the ground—and the lights go out. It can be an uncomfortable feeling for a two-year-old. They cuddle up with their blankets and find comfort.

“The first thing a child does when he or she gets the blanket is start hugging it to their face because it’s so soft. They get excited when the student-athletes—the children call them ‘the big people’— come in with the blankets. Some of the children only come up to the athlete’s knees, and they’ll give them a knee hug.

“These blankets are such a source of comfort for the kids. Their parents are working or going to school, and we are lending a hand to help them get their lives together.”

Freshman men’s soccer player Alessandro Thomas from Sigonella, Italy was putting his own personal touch on the blanket he was designing.

Thomas has played in three games during DePaul’s 2-2 opening run and started in the 4-3 comeback win Sept. 1 at Green Bay. The rookie forward picked up his first collegiate point with an assist on Anthony Hunter’s golden goal in overtime.

“A large group of people have come together during Orientation to talk about bringing pride to DePaul and having success in all the different athletic programs,” Thomas said. “I’ve been learning a lot.

“Making the blankets is a great way for us to give back to the community. I’ve always enjoyed doing things that help children and always been fond of giving back to the community. I make it a personal goal to try and help those who are less fortunate than we are.

Freshman softball player Hannah Hosty from southwest suburban New Lenox said she had a better understanding of DePaul’s mission after participating in Orientation 2014.

“Orientation is a great program where you get to meet student-athletes from other teams,” Hosty said. “You are a part of more than 200 athletes who learn what the expectations are for us in the upcoming school year.

“It’s really great to help so many children with these blankets. It gives them something they can hug during their naps. This project speaks to the character and humility of DePaul.

“It’s important that all of us gathered in one place and learned about St. Vincent de Paul and what he believed in so strongly. Making the blankets was a great team-bonding exercise, we got to know other athletes and we had a good time while doing it.”

Sister Katie saw a correlation between making blankets and the work of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac, co-founders of the Daughters of Charity.

“A lot of what St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac did was involved with community service and helping the less fortunate,” Norris said. “This is a good way for the student-athletes at DePaul to learn about that mission and to give back to the community.

“They have been blessed with the gift of athleticism, and with this project, they now have an opportunity to do something for the children. I absolutely love what DePaul’s student-athletes are doing.

“St. Vincent and St. Louise would match up resources with those in need. With this project, I think it’s a wonderful way of matching the athletes’ energy and enthusiasm for the benefit of so many children at the two day-care centers.”

Source: http://www.depaulbluedemons.com/genrel/091114aaa.html