SAAC Works Locally in 2008-09
HADLEY, Mass. – The NESCAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) went local in 2008-09 with a combined conference effort to contribute in each member institution’s home community. The student-athlete advisory group at each NESCAC school gave back in various ways this past year with activities such as educational programs, volunteering, and fundraising for local charities.
Some of the many activities that the institutional SAAC groups participated in included the following:
The Trinity SAAC held a field day event in April for middle school children, playing games while also teaching the youths about sportsmanship. Student-athletes also traveled to the Hartford Middle Magnet School and worked with sixth graders on how to set and achieve immediate, short, and long term goals. Before the end of the spring semester, the SAAC sponsored athletic activities at the third-annual Samba and Fun Fair Festival, a community event that includes music and a variety of events on the Trinity campus for local families.
At Middlebury, the SAAC held its annual Girls in Sport Day on January 25. Over 50 Middlebury student-athletes took part in helping 117 Girl Scouts participate in swimming, field hockey, softball, soccer and lacrosse at the Panthers’ athletic complex. Student-athletes also served as tutors as part of The Educational Alliance at Middlebury – or T.E.A.M. – at Middlebury Union, Vergennes, and Mt. Abe high schools. Individuals from a variety of Middlebury teams went one day a week and spent nearly two hours in the learning labs. During the fall alone, Middlebury student-athletes made 38 visits and tutored for 144 hours.
The Williams SAAC held a fundraiser in February to benefit the Berkshire Fuel Assistance Program. Dubbed “Powerade Pong” and sponsored by Powerade and Stop and Shop, the event brought together nearly 75 students, coaches and professors for three hours of games while raising $500 for the Berkshire Fuel Assistance fund.
During the 2008 holiday season the Tufts SAAC helped out the Malden area Department of Children and Families by fundraising for Adopt-a-Family. Multiple teams participated and collected nearly $1,300 for the organization. The Jumbos also were an integral part of Relay for Life, a 24-hour walk-a-thon, on March 27 in the Gantcher Center. Tufts teams contributed $4,230 to the event. SAAC also organized a T-shirt drive during the ECAC Indoor Track & Field Championships on March 6-7 by encouraging teams to donate shirts which were then given to children at Medford and Somerville schools.
The Connecticut College SAAC organized a dodgeball tournament in November just prior to Thanksgiving in an effort to raise money for the New London Food Bank. A total of 14 teams participated in the tournament. SAAC also put together a Gatorade tournament in April. The two events netted over $500 in proceeds.
The Bowdoin SAAC hosted “Girls in Sport Day” in the middle of February which was similar in nature to Middlebury’s event. The day involved over 150 local girls playing a variety of games, including basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. Polar Bear student-athletes also took part in the Bowdoin Relay for Life and helped contribute to the $54,000 that was raised by the college overall.
The Colby SAAC partnered with the Colby Volunteer Center to hold an eating contest called Chow Down for Charity on May 6th. Multiple SAAC members helped organize and run the event which raised nearly $500 for the South End Teen Center in Waterville, Maine.
The SAAC members at Bates coordinated the second-annual SAAC Field Day on May 3. Roughly 150 student-athletes conducted games and activities for children and families from the Lewiston-Auburn area, and bus transportation to-and-from campus along with free T-shirts were provided by the athletic department. At least 200 local youths participated in the event.
The Amherst SAAC held a sportsmanship clinic in early February for local elementary students. Nearly 100 children came to campus and participated in cooperative games, relays, and other sportsmanship-related activities before the children enjoyed a pizza party and poster-making session prior to attending a Jeffs’ women’s basketball game. Each individual in attendance also received a free T-shirt. SAAC also held a charity raffle during the first round of the 2009 NESCAC Men’s Basketball Championship with the proceeds supporting Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Last year, the NESCAC SAAC teamed up with the Jimmy Fund to raise money for cancer research. The student-athlete advisory committee at each NESCAC institution joined together for “Cashing In Against Cancer” by collecting loose change in support of the Jimmy Fund. The project netted a total gift of just over $4,200 for cancer research.
