Student-athletes were able to form a sense of community between their athletic teams and the city of Philadelphia by wearing red-and-white-striped socks, said Lea Millio, a senior history major and secretary of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

As part of the Show Your Stripes campaign, student-athletes broke out their striped socks and wore them around Main Campus on Oct. 14. Student-athletes could purchase a striped scarf, tie or pair of socks for $10. Proceeds went to the Ronald McDonald House, an international organization that houses families of children who are seriously ill and staying in Philadelphia hospitals.

The teams involved in the campaign raised $1,630, roughly tripling last year’s donation, said Jessica Gray, the compliance and student athlete affairs coordinator.

Millio said the increase in participants was largely due to social media.

“Putting out the pictures for all the student-athletes to see really encouraged the other teams to join in,” Millio said.

Briana Odom, a senior psychology major and gymnastics representative for SAAC, said the Show Your Stripes event served as “a conversation starter” among student-athletes.

“It’s a fun way that we can raise money, but we can also bring awareness to what we’re doing it for,” Odom said. “The big thing is when we wear them around they want people to come up and ask you … and then we can reinforce [the campaign].”

“The message behind it and the mission of Ronald McDonald House is something that anybody could want to be a part of and support,” Gray said. “It’s really easy to just buy a pair of socks and it’s bigger than just buying a pair of socks.”

Junior sociology major and rowing representative for SAAC Ciara O’Sullivan said that an event like Show Your Stripes creates a community between everyone involved in athletics.

“It’s really fun because a lot of the advisers and the strength and conditioning staff and the athletic trainers, everyone else would get involved too,” O’Sullivan said.

“You can pick out who’s a student athlete because they’re wearing the socks,” said sophomore social work major and gymnastics team member Breahna Wiczkowski. “It’s a fun way to interact with people you might not always talk to in your classes or just see around campus. And when it’s two or more people wearing the same socks in class, people are more likely to ask what’s going on.”

SAAC brought Show Your Stripes, along with several other fundraisers and community service opportunities, to the student-athletes’ attention.

O’Sullivan called SAAC “the connecting point between teams and the administration.”

“We really push to get our student-athletes in the community. … It’s like this big umbrella of SAAC,” Odom said. “We do so many things, our meetings are like two hours long sometimes. We do community service, we do student athlete affairs, and we also try to reach out to the general population of this campus.”

Gray said the Ronald McDonald House is “near and dear to [her] heart.”

“I’ve always been familiar with Ronald McDonald House being a local Philadelphian, and I know I’ve had friends and family members who have had to use the resources,” Gray said. “I really just think it’s great to support a local organization that obviously has an expansive reach.”

The connection between athletics and the Ronald McDonald House does not end at wearing funny socks. Millio said she and other members of the rowing team get to be “guest chefs” and prepare and serve meals for the families using the facilities at the Ronald McDonald House.

“[The families] are all really happy they have food made for them, especially by a group of people they don’t know, and they’re very thankful and it’s very meaningful for us,” Millio said.

O’Sullivan highlighted the importance of the continuous relationship between the Ronald McDonald House and the rowing team at Temple.

“It’s so important to bring attention to [the house] and all the good work that they do,” O’Sullivan said.

“For you to be able to go to Ronald McDonald House and interact with those children and those families on that level,” Gray said. “And then be able to go to Shriners and decorate the kids lounge for Halloween, and then go talk to a veteran at the Veterans Affairs Office, you’re getting a lot of different experiences.”

Devon Lamb can be reached at devon.lamb@temple.edu.

Source: http://temple-news.com/lifestyle/student-athletes-show-stripes/

A group of Main Street School fifth-grade students is leading the effort to raise money for victims of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti. Through a number of schoolwide events, they’ve raised more than $550 and will continue to collect donations until the end of November.

As part of the efforts, students on the leadership team presented important information to their peers on what it means to be an engaged global citizen. During the PJ Day and Hat Day fundraisers, the students asked their peers to donate a dollar to the cause and wear pajamas and hats to school as a way to show their support. The next fundraisers will include a Sock Day celebration, to be held on Nov. 15, Inside Out/Backwards Day on Nov. 23 and a T-shirt sale from Nov. 28-30.

“Thanks to everyone for supporting our students’ work as global citizens,” Principal Joyce Chapnick said. “As a school community, it is our responsibility to engage our students to take action in issues affecting others in our society.”

Photo Captions: Main Street School students raise money for victims of Hurricane Matthew through a number of schoolwide events.

Photos courtesy of the Irvington Union Free School District

There was a steady flow of princesses, super heroes, animals, and characters of all sorts down the Row along the LSU lakes Sunday evening where LSU Greek Life and LSU athletics welcomed the community in a festive Halloween celebration called “Trick or Treat Down the Row.” The scene, filled with kids in their favorite costumes trick-or-treating along the path on a warm fall day, was far too adorable to be anything but a blast. Families were all smiles as they visited with members of the athletic department outside the Lod Cook Alumni Center. Here, the student-athletes of each sport enjoyed a chance to give back to the community as they hosted games for the children and passed out candy.

The games, each correlating to the station’s hosting sport, not only gave the kids a chance to meet their favorite athletes, but a chance to interact with them and make memorable connections. Children playfully contested with athletes in a match of volleyball, dunked with the men’s and women’s basketball teams, threw strikes with softball and baseball, and tested their ring-toss skills with swimming and diving among countless other activities. Through these activities children enjoyed learning skills from their favorite sports with LSU’s finest and were encouraged as they explored new games moving from booth to booth.

The excitement glowing on the children’s faces was contagious. Justin Jones, a freshman football player, especially enjoyed the event as it combines, “one of [his] more favorite seasonal traditions,” and his passion for working with children. He cheerfully admitted, “I just love working with kids. When you see a kid smile, it’s hard for you not to smile.”

It is definite that while the kids were having a great time, the athletes were too. Dressed as a minion, Myia Hambrick, a junior gymnast, watched her teammate hold hands with a fairy tip-toing across the balance beam as she stated grinning from ear-to-ear that this event is “one of our favorites.”

It is evident the old saying, “It’s better to give, than to receive,” rings true for LSU athletics. The opportunity for the players to interact and make meaningful bonds with the kids who look up to them is both inspiring and humbling. This was visible, as they shared the support they enjoy from the community throughout the year. Sophomore infielder with LSU baseball, Chris Reid, expresses “It means a lot to us, that we can give back to our community.”

Senior basketball forward, Brian Bridgewater, agrees as he hands a basketball to a tiny super hero, “giving back to the community is always a good thing.” This sentiment is echoed across the lawn from athletes of every class and sport. As Becca Weissmann, a freshman on the women’s tennis team, passes out candy, with cat whiskers painted across her face realizes the significance of the event stating, “I think it’s awesome! I think it’s great to be a part of this team and be able to give back and do this for the kids on Halloween.”

For little ones, the excitement of dressing as their favorite character, gathering with family and friends to trick-or-treat and play games at fall festivals is always a special experience. Combining this nostalgic tradition with the thrill of interacting with their own super heroes is absolutely exhilarating. Though this event only lasted a few hours on a Sunday afternoon, and only consisted of simple fun and games, the warmth of the memorable experience will ripple far beyond the expiration date on the fun sized candy bars for both the athletes and children. The impact of sharing support between LSU athletics and the community is immeasurable. Bringing everyone together as one shapes the future of our athletes, the sports teams, and the dreams of the children who enjoyed this annual event.

Source: http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=211266994

Mastic Beach – The William Floyd cheerleading program (varsity, junior varsity and both middle schools) recently teamed up to raise $1,000 for Rett Syndrome, which according to the National Institutes of Health is a rare non-inherited genetic neurological disorder that occurs almost exclusively in girls and leads to severe impairments, affecting nearly every aspect of a child’s life including the ability to speak, walk, eat and even breathe easily. Currently, approximately 15,000 women and girls in the United States and 350,000 worldwide suffer from this disorder.

All of the funds raised by the cheerleaders will be presented to Girl Power 2 Cure and Rett Syndrome Research Trust, organizations that seek to develop treatments and a cure for this debilitating disease. The cheerleaders were inspired by Valentina Priolo, the cousin of Felicia Cangin, senior captain of the varsity cheerleading team. Valentina’s mother Raquel Priolo is a graduate of William Floyd, class of 1988, who currently resides with her family in Queens. Valentina was born just like every average baby girl, and then around six-months old she began having seizures. At three-years old she lost her hand functions and was unable to walk without assistance and has a hard time speaking. Valentina and her family have been working with Rett Syndrome Research Trust Fund and she is currently on an FDA approved medication which is helping her walk, focus and talk better.

“Our hope is that one day there will be a cure for Rett Syndrome,” said Alyssa Cabrera, William Floyd High School varsity cheerleading coach. “The girls were very excited and eager to help. I feel that it’s important that we give back to the community and for our girls to look out for and empower one another.”

Source: http://brookhavennewsherald.com/2016/10/31/william-floyd-cheerleaders-raise-1000-for-rett-syndrome-research/

“The entire institution is committed to supporting the success of our student-athletes. Just like a parent, we support student-athletes by utilizing the institution’s services and having committed people in our department, to ensure our student-athletes are held accountable and have high expectations for themselves. We look student-athletes and their parents right in the eyes and stress, ‘We won’t jeopardize your ability to compete as a starter and have a great career, but education will come first.’”

Having now proven itself as a Division I program, SIUE most values its achievement of staying true to the University’s commitment toward student-athlete experience, welfare and academic success, while competing at the highest level. The program also takes great pride in its community involvement initiatives, with SIUE athletics teams combining for nearly 15,000 hours of community service last year.

To read more please visit: http://www.siuecougars.com/