In between their busy academic and athletic schedules, AMCC student-athleletes have also been busy giving back to their communities this year. On Day Two of Division III week, the AMCC would like to share a summary of what the students-athletes of the conference have been up to this year.
Around the holidays, the Alfred State College SAAC members bought food and Christmas gifts for a family in need with the help of the United University Church of Alfred and its yearly “Christmas Box.” The Alfred State College student-athletes donated money for SAAC to shop and wrap gifts. Additionally, for the third year in a row, the Alfred State wrestling team conducted their campus & community cleanup. The team spent three hours and spread across both Alfred State and Alfred University campuses and the village of Alfred to do their part in keeping Alfred, NY beautiful. Members of the Pioneer softball team recently volunteered their time with the Alfred State Career Services office with a recent job fair for Medical Majors.
Hilbert College's athletic teams have found ways to give back to the local community this year. The women's soccer team hosted a one-day soccer clinic with the Weekfolk Day Care Center in late August just after the team returned to campus for training camp. The men's and women's volleyball teams have been working since the fall semester with The Champion Project and Volley Power, an organization that works with young students at different schools introducing them to the sport hoping to spread its popularity at the junior varsity and varsity levels in the WNY area. The men's basketball team hosted its annual Hawks Against Hunger Tip Off Tournament in support of the Buffalo City Mission. The basketball team accepted monetary donations and non-perishable goods in a concerted effort to provide hot meals to those less fortunate during the holiday season. They also assisted in the annual Adopt of Highway, South Park Clean Sweep hosted by the Criminal Justice, Forensic Science club in the fall and recently ran a Youth Basketball Clinic at the Cattaraugus Community Center. The men's soccer team, with assistance from the women's team, helped run the Hamburg Monarchs house league every Sunday on Hilbert's campus. And last but not least,
the softball team ran two separate clinics this fall. The first was for the Lou Gehrig Travel Softball program, ages 10-13 and their second community service event was for the Town of Amherst, ages 6-14. In total they worked with 80 raising softball stars. The Hilbert SAAC is also participating in a community service activity for Division III week, as they will be taking part in the Tie Blankets for 10 Lives Club and a Food Drive for the on-campus pantry "Mother Collette's Cupboard."
The La Roche University SAAC hosted their annual community service event on Sunday, March 26. This year's event consisted of three different tournaments in Corn Hole, Kan Jam, & Spikeball. Students competed in groups of two in hopes of claiming the winning prize, along with the honor of naming this year's donation recipient. This year's winners selected Jennifer Cadamore Ministries, a teaching ministry for girls & women.
The Mount Aloysius College women’s volleyball team started off their preseason by helping out their community. The Mounties were proud to help Windber elementary and early middle school students learn the game of volleyball. The team split up into groups and focused on the basic techniques of volleyball. The Mountie baseball team participated in Halloween Trunk-or-Treat at Central Cambria Elementary school on Thursday, October 20th.
Penn State Altoona coaches and student-athletes helped new and returning studetns move into the dorms on campus, while also being there with a smile and a friendly face to welcome students and families to campus for the first time. Members of the Penn State Altoona SAAC spent time at the Central PA Autism Now Day/Walk running the coloring booth and sensory activity table, working with kids of all ages on the spectrum. Additionally, members of the Penn State Altoona men's basketball team volunteered at an Altoona Curve baseball game and handed out yellow ribbons and information for Pediatric Cancer research, in tandem with the Brian Morden Foundation, which is a group that raises money and Awareness for pediatric cancer research.
The Penn State Behrend men’s and women’s soccer teams volunteer their time with the TOPSoccer program. This is a special needs soccer program they run for 60 children every Wednesday for six weeks