KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT)– Throughout the year, the Tennessee football team volunteers in various ways with different projects and events to give back to the community. The Vol For Life program allows the student-athletes to make children’s hospital visits, serve meals, participate in Special Olympics events, and work closely with the Habitat for Humanity organization.

This June, the team will help construct a home for a family of seven in the Knoxville area. Antone Davis, VFL program coordinator, says that it’s important to teach the new players that volunteering is part of playing football at UT.

“Not only are we giving back we’re hands on in the job site helping build an actual home,” Davis says, “that’s very gratifying.”

Ndayiziga Jafari is not sitting on the sidelines watching others construct the walls and windows that soon will be his home.

“I have to do a wonderful job because this is my home,” Jafari says, “this is my future home so I have to make sure all is perfect.”

Jafari, his wife and their five children will soon have a brand new home, built from the ground up, that they know began with many people who wanted to help. The family has lived in Knoxville for seven years and Jafari encourages people to serve and continue to give back to the community.

“Keep serving people because it is a good thing to do,” Jafari says.

Habitat for Humanity program director Phil Watson has been part of building numerous homes in east Tennessee. He says working with the Vol football players makes for special days.

“Today we’ve got mostly freshmen or red shirt freshmen so it’s good to see the new boys come in and start to be coached up on giving back to the community,” Watson says, “and that’s what this VFL program does.”

Several UT football student-athletes volunteered to help on a hot Saturday morning because they know it’s the right thing to do. Logan Fetzner, a redshirt junior wide receiver, is helping with his first Habitat home and says it’s a great program.

“We love coming out here and helping the community,” Fetzner says. “You get to help people who really need it and you meet awesome people out here and work with teammates so it’s a bonding experience.”

The home is scheduled to be dedicated July 25, 2016 at noon.

Source: http://www.local8now.com/content/news/381868101.html

On May 18, members of the Floral Park Memorial High School’s SADD Club and Knights Leadership group went to Centennial Gardens and conducted a cleanup to prepare for the Hance Family Fun Day. 

The students disposed of garbage, picked up leaves and removed weeds. 

Photo Caption: Floral Park students Emma Schlechter (foreground), Mia Minogue (left), Nicole Choisez (second right) and Aideen Gill (right) are pictured cleaning up Centennial Gardens.

Photo courtesy of the Sewanhaka Central High School District

Sewanhaka High School seventh-graders participated in the Hance Family Foundation Emma’s Mile on May 21. 

The students are working on completing 26 hours of community service for Diane Venturas social studies class.

Photo Caption: Sewanhaka High School seventh-graders volunteered at the Hance Family Foundation Emmas Mile on May 21.

Photo courtesy of the Sewanhaka Central High School District

To do their part to help those in need, the Hampton Bays High School Leo Club recently raised more than $2,000 through a spin fundraiser, called Sweatin’ for Cash.
To procure the funding, club members obtained sponsors and pledges for two sessions of spinning at MARVILfit during the month of May. All of the money raised will go toward supporting an orphanage in a developing nation.

Photo Caption: Hampton Bays High School Leo Club members recently raised more than $2,000 for an orphanage in a developing nation through a spin fundraiser.

Photo courtesy of the Hampton Bays School District

Hempstead, NY – Throughout the 2015-16 academic year, Hofstra student-athletes dedicated themselves to serving others. Between Hofstra’s 17 athletic teams and more than 300 student-athletes, the Pride took part in 47 community service projects and totaled more than 3,100 hours of service.

Some of the projects Hofstra student-athletes took part in included:

Reading With Pride
More than 20 student-athletes made trips to local elementary schools throughout the week of March 1, in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Students read their favorite Dr. Seuss books to children, while stressing the importance of reading and a strong dedication to academics as integral parts of their collegiate experiences.

CAA Food Drive and Blood Drive Challenges
Each year the Colonial Athletic Association hosts the CAA Blood Drive Challenge as well as the CAA Food Drive Challenge. These events have collected thousands of pints in blood donations, along with tens of thousands of pounds of food. The challenges have become staples in the community service of all schools in the CAA, and Hofstra student-athletes spearheaded two outstanding campaigns this year to support the cause.

Roosevelt Charter Academy Visit
Student-athletes from the Pride Wrestling program spent an afternoon visiting with children of several grade levels at the Roosevelt Charter Academy. Pride student-athletes spoke to classes about their athletic experiences and how important it is to have a strong dedication to academic achievement. Conversations also touched upon overcoming adversity, finding things in life that students can be passionate about, and continuing to develop academically, athletically and personally.

HEADstrong Fundraiser
Each fall the women’s lacrosse program hosts a weekend tournament to help benefit the HEADstrong Foundation. Student-athletes from women’s tennis and wrestling volunteered throughout the day to assist with the tournament.

Long Island Children’s Museum
Team members from baseball and wrestling assisted with the Long Island Children’s Museum’s Annual Ghostly Gala, a Halloween event for children. The evening had a variety of activities, including a spooky room, arts and crafts, as well as educational sessions for children of all ages. Student-athletes volunteered in a variety of ways to enhance the experience of each guest.

Let All The Children Play Foundation Clinic
Hofstra’s student-athletes hosted a clinic for the Let All The Children Play Foundation in the David S. Mack Fitness Center. Team members from men and women’s soccer, field hockey, women’s tennis, cross country and volleyball took part in this event. Student-athletes spent the morning running sport specific stations, teaching children the basics of field hockey, soccer, tennis, cross country and volleyball, while stressing the importance of fitness, teamwork and inclusion through sport.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island
Throughout the academic year Pride athletic teams took turns hosting clinics for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island. During the fall semester the Pride Field Hockey team took participants through a clinic on the basics of the sport, while during the spring semester participants attended clinics hosted by the men’s basketball, volleyball and men’s lacrosse programs. Additionally, Alan Hetherington just finished his second year as a volunteer for the Big Brothers Big Sisters, serving as a “big” to a special “little” each Wednesday throughout the year.

Holiday Shoe Box Event
Throughout the month of December, each of Hofstra’s 17 athletic teams gathered items for a group of very special children at Winthrop Hospital. Those items were used to fill shoe boxes with stuffed animals, books, toys, arts and crafts and other items. All of the boxes were wrapped and donated to the Child Life Program to be distributed to children who would be spending the holidays in the hospital. Student-athletes also included special notes in each box, wishing them well from all of the teams at Hofstra University.

Polar Plunges
Pride student-athletes from the field hockey and volleyball programs took part in two polar plunges, benefiting the Special Olympics and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. These events saw participants raise funds and plunge into the water off the north and south shores of Long Island, helping to support two terrific organizations.

Other community service endeavors initiated by Pride student-athletes involved volunteering with the following organizations:
-Girls On The Run
-Rolling Thunder
-Ruff House Rescue
-Ariana’s Angels
-Girl Scouts Annual Girls Go The Distance Walk-A-Thon
-Winthrop University Hospital Child Life Services
-Relay For Life
-The Bethany House
-The Mary Brennan INN
-Stephen Siller Tunnel To Towers Foundation

Pride student-athletes also took part in the University’s annual Shake-A-Rake event as well as conducting clinics at various schools and community organizations in the local area.