New York, N.Y. – For the second consecutive year, the Skyline Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will take part in a community service project in conjunction with the Skyline Fall Festival.

Each conference SAAC group will be soliciting clothing donations at various home soccer and women’s volleyball contests throughout the month of October. On Saturday, Nov. 8, the Skyline SAAC and Purchase College Department of Athletics will host an on-campus Clothing Drive. All of the donations collected from the ten Skyline member institutions will then be sorted and donated to My Sisters’ Place in nearby White Plains, N.Y.

“I applaud our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee on taking a proactive approach to try and make a small difference in the lives of those who are victims of domestic violence,” says Skyline Commissioner Linda Bruno.

“Community service was a priority of our directors of athletics when they developed the Fall Festival concept and I know this project will serve to be beneficial to everyone.”

Since 1976, My Sisters’ Place (MSP) has worked to end violence in intimate relationships and combat the effects of domestic violence and human trafficking on women, men, and children throughout Westchester County. MSP has evolved from a grassroots task force and drop-in center into a cutting edge leader and resource in the field of domestic violence advocacy, shelter and legal services and education and prevention. Based on the tenet of taking a holistic approach and addressing the root causes of family violence, MSP is continually expanding in order to effectively respond to the increasing and changing needs of individuals in crisis. MSP’s mission is to engage each member of society in our work to end domestic violence, so that all relationships can embrace the principles of respect, equality, and peacefulness.

The 2014 Skyline Fall Festival, presented by Formé Urgent Care & Wellness Center, will include the semifinals of the women’s volleyball championship on Friday, Nov. 7, along with the title matches of the men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball championships on Saturday, Nov. 8. All told, eight teams and approximately 200 student-athletes will be gathering on the Purchase campus to compete for league titles and NCAA Tournament berths. Admission to the two-day festival is free.

Source: http://www.sjceagles.com/general/Sky_SAAC

COPIAGUE, N.Y.- The Dowling College softball team participated in the 8th Annual Alexander’s Angels Long Island Buddy Walk at Tanner Park this afternoon. Members of the team and coaching staff joined 1700 other participants in the event that raised over $82,000 for Down Syndrome research.

The Buddy Walk® was created by the National Down Syndrome Society in 1995 to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. The Buddy Walk® has grown from 17 walks in 1995 to over 250 each year with at least one in every state across the country and many abroad. The Buddy Walk program is supported nationally by NDSS and organized at the local level by parent support groups and other organizations, schools, and motivated individuals.

Alexander’s Angels has been the organizer of the Buddy Walk® on Long Island since its inception in 2007. Funds raised benefit local programs and services, Down syndrome cognitive research, as well as local and national advocacy and awareness initiative that benefit all individuals with Down syndrome.

Student-athletes across the country have set a new Division II fundraising record for Make-A-Wish America during the 2013-14 academic year, raising $567,778. The fundraising total surpassed the previous division record, set in 2012-13, by more than $50,000.

Since Division II student-athletes on the national Student-Athlete Advisory Committee started its alliance with Make-A-Wish in 2003, the division has raised nearly $3.5 million for the national nonprofit – helping to fund more than 470 wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions. Last year alone, student-athletes raised enough to help grant about 70 wishes. Whether it’s a vacation the child has always dreamed of, a visit with a favorite celebrity or tickets to cheer on a beloved sports team, the wishes the organization grants are designed to provide a positive, energizing experience for children battling medical conditions.

“For 11 years, NCAA Division II student-athletes have taken the skills that have allowed them to succeed in athletic competitions, such as teamwork and self-determination, and channeled them toward helping us grant wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions,” said David Williams, CEO and president of Make-A-Wish America. “This record donation – along with the more than $3 million raised for Make-A-Wish in previous years – will forever change the lives of the wish kids who have had their one true wish granted thanks in part to the efforts of NCAA Division II student athletes throughout the country.”

Nearly 77 percent of schools in Division II participated in the most recent fundraising efforts. Of those, 141 schools exceeded their total raised in 2012-13 and consequently received matching donations through Make-A-Wish America of up to $1,000 for local Make-A-Wish chapters. The matching donations amounted to more than $75,000.

Keeping with the record-setting trend, two schools — the University of North Georgia and Barry University — exceeded the $20,000 mark, a first for the division. Additionally, the Peach Belt Conference became the first Division II conference to donate more than $50,000.

Shanteona Keys, a member of the Division II national SAAC and the Georgia College women’s basketball team, said her school managed to bring in $9,385 through events such as a formal dance, a tennis tournament and a raffle. “I think it has a lot to do with the student-athletes and the attributes we like to hold to high esteem,” Keys said.

At times, the division’s Make-A-Wish alliance provides student-athletes with a front-row seat to see their hard work pay off. Because the money raised during the previous academic year by five Division II institutions exceeded the national average cost of a wish, Barry University, Edinboro University, Molloy College, Saint Leo University and the University of North Georgia were each given the opportunity in February to host a wish celebration.

At Molloy, a 14-year-old boy became an honorary member of the men’s basketball team and received travel and tickets for a professional basketball game between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks in Miami, Florida. “This helped our student-athletes put a face to the cause,” said John Galanoudis, a member of the Division II national SAAC who plays baseball at Molloy. “All our athletes came out to the event. It was probably the most packed I’ve ever seen our gym.”

Division II is already looking to build upon its fundraising success, with its fourth annual Week of Wishes running Oct. 3-15. During that time, the division is encouraging its schools to host Make-A-Wish fundraisers at campus sporting events and to spread awareness of the cause on social media.

Top 10 Institutions:
1. University of North Georgia $21,413.00
2. Barry University $20,220.50
3. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania $10,767.98
4. Georgia College and State University $9,385.00
5. Delta State University $8,154.62
6. Wingate University $7,030.00
7. Indiana University of Pennsylvania $6,891.92
8. Flagler College $6,555.00
9. Saint Leo University $6,000.35
10. Grand Valley State University $6,000.00
10. University of Findlay $6,000.00
Conference Rankings:
1. Peach Belt Conference $55,293.61
2. Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference $43,400.65
3. Sunshine State Conference $36,496.58
4. Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference $30,422.54
5. South Atlantic Conference $28,133.48
6. Pacific West Conference $25,912.66
7. California Collegiate Athletic Association $25,795.79
8. East Coast Conference $21,104.48
9. Gulf South Conference $20,935.09
10. Great Lakes Valley Conference $20,659.67
11. Northeast-10 Conference $16,417.92
12. Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference $14,567.00
13. Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association $14,248.58
14. Lone Star Conference $10,839.58
15. Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference $10,244.36
16. Heartland Conference $8,860.47
17. Conference Carolinas $8,852.54
18. Great Midwest Athletic Conference $7,049.67
19. Great Northwest Athletic Conference $5,830.31
20. Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference $5,703.99
21. Great American Conference $5,515.42
22. Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference $5,107.81
23. Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association $4,673.69
24. Mountain East Conference $3,487.50
25. Independents $1,121.40

Source: http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/division-ii-sets-new-make-wish-fundraising-record

On an off day during a road trip last month, Polk State’s soccer players could have rested in their hotel rooms or spent a day shopping. Instead, the student-athletes made time to put on a soccer clinic at the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast in Gulfport, Miss.
“With amount of running we do in a game, we don’t want to play two games in a row,” said Head Coach Steve Linamen. “So we thought we’d use our off day to volunteer to help teach kids the game of soccer.”
Linamen turned to Gina Kim, who works in the Wellness Center on the Lakeland campus, for help in finding a volunteer opportunity for the team during their time in Mississippi.
Working with about 50 fourth- and fifth-graders, the Polk players taught basic soccer skills.
“The club had had other teams come in, but this was the first time for soccer, so everyone was really excited,” said Linamen.
Volunteering is nothing new for the team, said Linamen.
“We do lots of other volunteer activities, but often we’re doing something like collecting food or clothes, so we don’t directly interact with people. Putting on the clinic gave us a chance to directly interact with kids.”
The kids at the clinic weren’t the only ones who enjoyed the activity.
“I liked working with kids and playing soccer, so this was enjoyable and rewarding at same time,” said sophomore Meghan Flaherty of Inverness.
Freshman Sarah McKinney of Fruitland Park agreed.
“I enjoyed getting to know the kids and seeing how much they enjoyed us being there. It was great to see how they loved a sport we love too. I hope they get the same joy out of the game that we do.”
Freshman Kara Quintanilla of Auburndale came away from the experience with a sense of gratitude.
“It helped me realize how blessed and grateful I am to have the things I do,” she said. “I think we all came away more grateful for all we have.
“And the kids loved it. They had smiles on their faces and asked lots of questions. One of them wanted to know if we played on TV.
“I really enjoyed it and didn’t realize beforehand how much impact one visit could have.”

Source: https://www.polk.edu/news/kicks-for-kids-eagles-put-on-volunteer-soccer-clinic/

TRUMBULL, Conn. – Student-athletes and coaches from the Southern Connecticut State University women’s basketball team assisted more than 50 campers at a youth basketball clinic in Trumbull over the weekend.

This event is just one example of many community outreach events that SCSU student-athletes will take part in during the 2014-15 academic year as part of the Tim Greer Insurance Agency Community Service Cup.

Initiated in September, 2008, the ‘Community Service Cup’ program provides a competitive format that allows student-athletes to gain an enriched experience through engagement with the on-campus and local communities by supporting ventures of traditional citizens, campus community members and peer students and student-athletes. SCSU student-athletes volunteered nearly 4,000 hours of their time to numerous outreach efforts, both on-campus and in Greater New Haven, during the 2013-14 academic year.

Source: http://www.southernctowls.com/news/2014/10/6/GEN_1006142744.aspx