D3 WEEK DAY 1: AMCC STUDENT-ATHLETES CONTINUE SAAC 4 SOCKS CAMPAIGN

The AMCC kicks off NCAA Division III Week by highlighting all of the community service efforts of our student-athletes over the past academic year.

The AMCC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted the second annual SAAC for Socks campaign. SAAC committees throughout the conference joined together in a community service campaign to collect winter socks, gloves, and hats to donate to local homeless shelters across the region. Socks are an extremely high-need item for homeless people, especially during the winter months, when there is the risk of frostbite. Homeless people often have shoes but no socks, and the danger often goes unnoticed until it is too late. While men's warm socks tend to be a high-need item, donations of socks, hats and gloves for any gender, any age are all very welcome. In January and February of this year, AMCC schools collected 885 pairs of socks, along with 385 other winter items (hats, gloves, scarves, etc) and $297 to be donated to local homeless shelters across the landscape of the AMCC. 

Other community service highlights from around the conference:

Alfred State College participated in several community service projects this year, including the women's volleyball annual Pink Pride game, the baseball team volunteered and helped execute the YMCA's annual Halloween Party, and the swimming & diving team did a variety of jobs at the annual Ridgewalk Run and Walk in Wellsville. Additionally, numerous Pioneer athletes spent Halloween afternoon filling 2,500 comfort bags in conjunction with SUNY's Got Your Back. The bags were distributed to victims of violence throughout New York. Athletes from the women's soccer, men's soccer, cross country, track & field, volleyball, western equestrian, wrestling, and more participated in the event.

The Penn State Behrend baseball team voluntarily received haircuts on the stage in Bruno's Café to raise money for Grady's Decision, a non-profit organization run by alumni Ryan Smith. Grady's Decision is a non-profit organization created to help families experiencing premature births as well as those families with children needing specialized medical attention. Grady's Decision can assist with parking costs, food, housing near hospitals and transportation needs. The Behrend baseball team has raised over $10,000 in the past five years for Grady's Decision. 

The D'Youville College athletic department participated in the Polar Plunge and raised $400 this year for the Special Olympics of Western New York. Additionally, the Spartan men's basketball team continued their tradition of purchasing food for those who are less fortunate in the Buffalo area during the holiday season. The men's basketball team also co-sponsored the Hoops for Haiti event on campus in an effort to benefit the people of Haiti that were impacted by a natural disaster.

On October 31, more than 30 members of the Franciscan University baseball and softball teams spent the day with the students of Bright Promise for the inaugural Fall Out with the Barons Day program. Players from softball, baseball and even the mascot, Baron Von Steubie, spent the day with students by handing out Halloween candy, spending time in classrooms and enjoying lunch and recess with the students. 

The Hilbert College athletic department participated in numerous community service projects throughout the past academic year. The Hawks cross country program volunteered their time at a pair of local races in the fall, the softball team volunteered their time at a local youth clinic, while the baseball team assisted with a Special Olympics bowling event. The men's basketball team continued their tradition of cleaning up a local highway and also made a donation to the Buffalo City Mission, helping to serve meals and feed those less fortunate in the Buffalo area. The women's basketball team made a large donation to Sustain Inspire Survie (SIS), an organizaiton that provides financial grants to both men and women who are battling breast cancer.  Finally, Hilbert student-athletes participated in the Hamburg "Out of the Darkness Community Walk" to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention.

The La Roche University baseball team partnered with the Pittsburgh Pirates' CARE-a-van event, as Redhawk players assisted the Pirates organization with packing and delivering food from the local food bank. They helped pack, load, transport and unload boxes of donated food as part of the Neighborhood Resilience Project.

The Medaille College baseball team hosted the second annual "Goin' Bald For Bucks" event. The team collected $8,500 in year two to bring their grand total in two years to $16,392. There were 235 donations received this year.

The Mount Aloysius College women's volleyball team hosted La Roche University for the team's annual Pink Out Game, benefitting the Joyce Murtha Breast Cancer Care Center of Windber, PA. Additionally, for the second year in a row, the Mountie volleyball team provided a free kids clinic at Windber High School during the preseason. There were 60+ kids that attended while the Mounties coached and instructed the kids while providing a place for them to learn and get involved in a new sport. Furthermore, the Mountie women's bowling team worked with the Special Olympics at Richland Lanes in Johnstown on October 26. The team members coached and instructed Special Olympics athletes in bowling in what has become their annual service project that they have participated in the past few years.

The Penn State Altoona department of athletics and the Student-Athlete Advisory Council partnered with the Mountain Lion Backpack Program to collect donations for local children. The Mountain Lion Backpack Program provides local Altoona area elementary school children with backpacks full of food every Friday for 32 weeks out of the school year.

The Pitt-Bradford softball team hosted CARE for Children for a softball clinic at the Kessel Athletic Complex. The Panther players, coaches and children in attendance worked on hitting, fielding, throwing and finished the session up with a scrimmage. CARE for Children is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children of all abilities.

The Pitt-Greensburg men's and women's basketball teams came together and helped pack chemo comfort totes. Over 400 totes were packed with various items and were distributed to all three Arnold Palmer Medical Facilities, as well as the new Allegheny Health Network Hempfield Neighborhood Hospital.