CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri student-athletes, coaches, and staff logged a record 4,100 community service hours during the 2014-15 academic year. Five teams averaged at least 15 community service hours per student-athlete.
“I want to thank all of our student-athletes and coaches for taking time out of their busy schedules to volunteer their valuable time,” said Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance Rachel Blunt. “We know a couple hours here and there is quite valuable to a student-athlete juggling class work, games, practices, and jobs so that’s what makes this mark of 4,100 hours special. Their commitment to our university and to Cape Girardeau speaks volumes to leaders on campus and members in our community.”
Each student-athlete is asked to give at least 10 community service hours a year. The 10-hour requirement was set by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) prior to the 2013-14 academic year. SAAC’s community service goal for this past year was set at 3,500 hours, which was the total from 2013-14.
Blunt added, “SAAC put the 10-hour requirement into play and we more than surpassed that this year. That comes from our SAAC representatives speaking with their teammates and coaches about volunteer opportunities and making sure the student-athlete community stays involved.”
The five teams that averaged at least 15 hours per student-athlete were baseball, women’s basketball, women’s gymnastics, women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball.
The year began with about 150 student-athletes lending a helping hand during move-in day in August and wrapped up in June when 50 student-athletes served at the Summer Arts Festival. Events in between included the Canned Food Drive at Wehrenberg Theaters, Feed My Starving Children, Southeast Serves events, Read to Succeed, various SAAC events including Halloween at Houck and Rowdy’s Winter Wonderland, and outreach to local elementary schools.
