D3 WEEK DAY ONE: AMCC STUDENT-ATHLETES GIVE BACK TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES

In between their busy academic and athletic schedules, AMCC student-athleletes have also been busy giving back to their communities this year. On Day One 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.

Alfred State College hosted a Dig Pink Volleyball game & fundraiser, where the volleyball team raised money for Breast Cancer support through basket raffle, t-shirt sales and a pie in the face contest during a home game in October. The Pioneer athletic department raised money and sponsored a local family in need during the holidays.  SAAC members use the money to buy presents and food for the family of six. During the month of March, every Tuesday and Thursday, student athletes went to the local elementary school to mentor young students. Over 25 student-athletes participated, where they helped the young students with work, take part in class activities and get to know the boys and girls. Lastly, the men’s wrestling team had a campus and town clean up where they walked around and collected garbage on the roads and streets.

The Carlow University student-athletes took part in several community service projects this year, including the Mercy Service Day to kick off the academic year. This special event takes place in September and connects the Carlow community to community organizations in the Pittsburgh area. Mercy Service Day is designed to help all first-year students immerse themselves in Carlow’s long tradition of service. The Celtic student-athletes also took part in the Congregation Beth Shalom Sports Luncheon. As part of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month, the Congregation invites local collegiate and pro sports teams/representatives to serve lunch to and interact with clubs and organizations in the community that support people with developmental disabilities. The women's volleyball team volunteered at Global Links, a Pittsburgh-based non-profit dedicated to improving health in communities with need, while the men's and women's soccer teams volunteered at the Pittsburgh Mercy Emergency Shelter - an innovative, 92-bed year-round, low-barrier shelter, daytime engagement center, and primary care clinic for adults experiencing homelessness - where they played bingo, made crafts and spent time sharing stories with the people there.

Hilbert College varies their community service location amongst their teams, but they seem to support the same communities each year.  Hilbert Volleyball continues to work with the VolleyPower, the volleyball specific section of the Champion Project, an organization that brings sports and activity to under-served communities. Since the 2013-14 season, the Men’s Basketball team’s Hawks Against Hunger Tip-Off Tournament has generated $3,500 in donations to the Buffalo City Mission which translates into 1,523 meals for those less fortunate. And, as part of the Hilbert College Day of Giving, the men’s soccer team assisted the Sleep in Heavenly Peace organization to build beds for children in need.

The La Roche University softball team held a Mental Health Awareness Day during their game against Penn State DuBois. Both teams wore shirts in which the proceeds went to Mental Health Awareness.

The Mount Aloysius College women's volleyball team hosted a free kids volleyball clinic at Windber High School for kids aged 4-11. They had 115 kids and the Mountie players we able to share their knowledge and love of volleyball. The Mountie women's soccer team hosted their annual Teal Out Game, raising awareness for Ovarian Cancer research and support. This was the team's third year partnering with the Ann Harris Smith Foundation, an organization committed to raising awareness of the disease in the memory of local teacher Ann Harris Smith. Members of the Mountie tennis teams participated in the school's annual spring break trip, heading to Kentucky, helping to build and improve housing in impoverished areas. Organized through Mission and Ministry, this was the second year of Mount Aloysius making the trip, with the school working on five projects in tandem with other college organizations.  Lastly, the Mountie Rifle program held a fundraiser for a local club in need, raising money for the organization to advance the sport in the area.

The Penn State Altoona SAAC partnered with the Blair County Food Drive and the on-campus food pantry, Ivyside Eats. In this partnership, the Lions have served out in the community at the local Sam's Club and Wal-Mart for the county-wide Food Drive twice a year (Thanksgiving & Easter), which helps stock 12 different food pantries within Blair County. The new phase this year was that SAAC brought the food drives to athletic home events throughout the academic year. The Penn State Altoona SAAC has made it a point to have a food drive for at least one home game for each NCAA DIII sporting event. The food and donations raised at Altoona home events goes straight to Ivyside Eats.  

The Penn State Behrend baseball program participated in its annual commitment with Habitat for Humanity on in November. The baseball program players and coaches provided work on a new home build in Erie. Over the years with Habitat, the Behrend baseball program has built storage sheds for new homes, completed roofing, worked on interiors and exteriors of homes, and organized the Habitat warehouse. Additionally, the Lions men's basketball team team spent part of their day in early April at the Booker T. Washington Development & Education Center. Several members of the team shot hoops and enjoyed some quality time with the children during their after-school program. The Booker T. Washington Development & Education Center is located in the heart of the City of Erie and is focused on creating quality educational programs and resources available to the public. The center offers after-school programs and other educational programming that invests in the Erie youth and the future of the community.

The Pitt-Bradford student-athletes collaborated with Special Olympics for their annual Bowling with a Buddy event. Additionally, the Panther men's lacrosse team paired with the university’s Office of Inclusion and Belonging to raise awareness for and participate in Orange Shirt Day or the National Day of Remembrance for U.S. Indigenous Boarding Schools, while the softball team paired with the local youth organization CARE for Children for their annual clinic that is dedicated to improving the lives of children of all abilities.

The Pitt-Greensburg athletics department, in collaborated with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and the UPG Student PSEA, hosted their annual Special Olympics of Pennsylvania (SOPA) Double Header. At halftime of the Pitt-Greensburg-Penn State Behrend men's basketball game, the SOPA athletes took the court for a ten-minute pickup game for the ages. In addition to the pickup game, the Pitt-Greensburg Organizations donated proceeds from ticket sales, 50/50 raffles, and a basket raffle to the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania. With all being considered, just under $500 was raised and went to SOPA. In addition, the Bobcat women's soccer team adopted ten kids over three families this holiday season and gave them a Christmas to remember. The team went out and bought the gifts, wrapped them, and delivered them to the kids.