Center Valley, PA (February 10, 2014) – The DeSales University SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee) has been collecting information and updates from each varsity athletics team on campus and has complied a brief description and update on what some of the teams have done thus far during the 2013-14 school year.
Volleyball
#DSUVB volunteered at the the Lehigh Valley Zoo’s “Boo at the Zoo” during the Halloween holiday. The team handed out candy to children from the area who visited the zoo on the designated day. Each player volunteered for about four hours and had a great time interacting with all of the children in their costumes.
Baseball
#DSUBB has been doing montly trips to the Lehigh Valley Children’s Hospital with each visit consisting of three or four players. These players spend time with the children playing in the hopital play room and visiting with the children who aren’t able to leave their bed.
#DSUBB also held their annual Miracle League event in January in which the entire baseball team gives the kids some basic instruction including playing catch with each of the children. The entire team then assists all of the players in a short game inside on the recreation courts. The Miracle League of Lehigh County is an organization which sets up baseball games for special needs children.
Women’s Basketball
#DSUWBB has participated in several community service events this year including volunteering their time to walk in PACE’s annual “Walk a Mile” event. “Walk a Mile” is a national movement that serves to raise awareness for and eventually put an end to domestic and sexual abuse. The event began with a presentation by DSU PACErs and also featured representatives from Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley, SAFENurses, and the Lehigh Valley Crime Victims Council.
#DSUWBB also volunteered at the “Making Strides of Lehigh Valley” event. The 3.1 mile walk was held in downtown Bethlehem on Saturday, October 26th. The team enjored the pre-walk festivities such as face-painting and Zumba and then made their way to the two mile marker where they cheered on the walk participants. There was plenty of enjoyment at this event and are looking foward to volunteering again next year.
Men’s and Women’s Basketball
Both DSUWBB and DSUMBB volunteered on what has become an annual trip to the Lehigh Valley Academy in conjunction with the Cops-N-Kids Program. During the fall semester, the teams collected almost 600 books that were donated to the children at LVA. During the visit, the student-athletes read stories to the students, helped them create bookmarks, and autographed their books and bookmarks. Both teams always have a tremendous amount of fun and enjoy their visit with the children at LVA every year.
Field Hockey
During the fall semester the #DSUFH team volunteered on several Saturday’s with the Miracle League of Northampton County. The first night of pre-season practice, the team went to Palmer Community Center to participate the first time in which they were each paired with buddies that they played two innings of baseball with. The team was paired with the Dodgers, a team with kids ages 5-17 with various physical or developmental handicaps. The team created a terrific connection with their buddies and have been back three more times since the initial visit. The entire team hopes to make a few more visits in the spring once the seasons re-starts.