Wednesday was was field day at Albert Lea High School but it wasn’t for the students. National Honor Society students hosted the day for preschoolers in Special Olympics.

Different stations tested basic skills such as kicking, throwing, catching, hitting and jumping.

Even though the event was held for students with special needs, high schoolers were benefiting as well.

“There have been moments where we’ve been in tears and it’s been happy tears just seeing the kids interacting with one another and just the benefits this program has brought,” National Honor Society Advisor Gina Klennet said.

This was the first time Special Olympics has partnered with a school. Both organizations are hoping it can be a lasting relationship.

To view the video please visit the source: http://www.kaaltv.com/article/stories/s3427904.shtml

For a fifth year in a row, Notre Dame student athletes are reaching out to their community through a summer class called the Center for Social Concerns.

On Thursday, a group of athletes participating in the class was spending their afternoon at the Corvilla House on Bulla.

Corvilla is a non-for-profit organization that provides homes for adults with developmental disabilities.

Jarrett Grace says, “”For us it is such a change up and such a blessing just to have these experiences that really open our eyes to the community and the people that support us. We are coming out here and these guys are great. They love us and know stuff about us and it gives us a chance to learn stuff about them and their lives.”

All week the athletes will spend their mornings in the classroom then their afternoons at the house where they help with cookout, play games, and spend time with the residents.

“You get to meet a lot of new people and throughout the week you really get to know them and really become friends with them. Honestly we learn from them. They are just such great people and happy all of the time. It really just brightens our day,” says Nick Martin.

Source: http://www.wndu.com/sports/headlines/ND-student-athletes-volunteer-at-Corvilla-House-262971811.html

On Saturday, June 6, the University of Minnesota athletics department was represented at the HopeKids sixth-annual Suburban Adventure Walk and Run at the Brandtjen Farm Community in Lakeville, Minnesota.

The Golden Gophers were represented by Chris Johnson, Rebecca, Weiland, and Devin Ste. Marie from swimming, Mo Walker from men’s basketball, and Matthew Jergenson and Titania Markland from men’s and women’s cross country and track and field. The student-athletes helped out with the event by serving lunch, talking and interacting with the children and getting signatures on t-shirts for donors from the HopeKids and their siblings.

The HopeKids Suburban Adventure Walk is a five or 10 kilometer run or walk in the neighborhood of Brandtjen Farm. Families can create fundraising teams to help sponsor their runs or individuals can run on their own. This year marked the sixth year of the Suburban Run, and the past five years of the event have raised over $375, 000 to benefit HopeKids Minnesota.

Many families and friends braved the rainy weather on Saturday to come participate in the event. The Gophers had a great time meeting the families and talking to some of the HopeKids there. After lunch, everyone gathered to watch one of the event’s biggest sponsors, Relentless, have members of its team perform heavy lifting tasks. One young man dead-lifted a car, and another man pulled a fire truck behind him as families and children lined up down the road to watch and cheer him on.

Relentless is a group of power lifters that hosted an event this past March where members competed to raise the most money for HopeKids. Relentless raised an impressive $196,000 for HopeKids, so it was exciting for the HopeKids organization and its families to watch and meet some of the power lifters at the Suburban Adventure.

The Gopher student-athletes look forward to the next event with HopeKids at the annual HopeDay Festival on Sunday, September 7th.

Source: http://www.gophersports.com/sports/student-affairs/spec-rel/060914aaa.html

North Charleston, SC – Former Dorchester standouts Carlos Dunlap and Robert Quinn were among a group of several National Football league players who conducted drills for the many student-athletes in attendance at their co-sponsored camp held this past Saturday at Fort Dorchester high school. Dubbed the “Twin Towers Football Camp” after Dunlap and Quinn who line-up at the defensive end position for their respective squads. Dunlap is entering his fourth season with the Cincinnati Bengals and Quinn is entering his fourth with the St. Louis Rams.

“Today we want to see the kids give their best effort as we teach them basic football fundamentals and core values so that they can use them on and off of the field because everyone isn’t going to make it in the NFL…but they will be able to use what they learn here for the rest of their life.” said Dunlap. The impetus for starting the camp came from a desire to do what was not done for them. “Growing up I couldn’t remember one football camp that an NFL player threw back here” stated Dunlap.

The wow factor was evident as the campers got to see the imposing figures of Dunlap and Quinn up close but to the delight of the smaller campers the reveled in the delight in chasing down a pro football player in a game of shirts versus skins.

Quinn described the mission of the day by saying, “every kid out here has a different story and hopefully just from us coming out here, spending time with them, it keeps them focused as they go through their journey in life.”

Carlos Dunlap Sr., one of the organizers of the camp expressed the desire and need to start the camp at home. “We started the camp three years ago when my son said dad, they want me to do a camp in Cincinnati, Florida…my logic in life is you can’t clean another house until you clean your own” stated Dunlap Sr. Making it a true family affair, Dunlap’s mother, Diane Ross participated in the organization and planning of the camp. “We have kids from six to thirteen and a few fourteen year olds and schools represented from Dorchester, Charleston and Berkeley counties…and being an educator, I focus on the importance of education…yes sports may get you somewhere… but you will not always be able to rely on that” said Ross.

Byron Maxwell, a current member of the Superbowl champion Seattle Seahawks was on hand to lend support to his former Fort Dorchester teammates and to be a living example of success through hard work. “It’s great showing these kids that anything is possible. Me being out here…they understand that it’s real…you can do it..and its not being a football player, its whatever they want to do…own their own business…success is possible if you grind and work hard.” Maxwell spoke about some of the young students who made an impression on him. Kalil Jenkins, an eleven year old, displayed the confidence and athletic ability that caught Maxwell’s eye. “It’s a great experience and its great that they came out to help improve the kids from South Carolina” stated Jenkins.

Along with Dunlap, Quinn and Maxwell were Jeremy Miles of the Baltimore Ravens and Michael Johnson of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Several former Fort Dorchester teammates were on hand including Kevin White.

NFL sports agent Drew Rosenhaus was also on hand to support the camp and to stress the importance and correlation of academic and athletic success. Rosenhaus stated, “…the key for the young people is really for them to learn is that academics and athletics go hand in hand…it is just as important for them to get good grades as it is to be a good athlete.”

The camp not only impacted the students but it also left an impression on the parents in attendance. Eric Walsh stated, “it’s great that the kids get to run around with people who actually care…it shows a lot of these kids that these guys made it to where they are…and with a lot of hard work these kids can make it that far as well and when they make it, it’s time to keep that cycle going. You’ve got to give back to the community that gave back to you.”

After being inspired by Dunlap, Quinn and the many others in attendance, perhaps Walsh’s son Bryson, and Kalil Jenkins will be back at Fort Dorchester or at some other high school conducting camps of their own.

By Kurt Walker

Source: http://www.charlestonchronicle.net/83563/2152/nfl-pros-give-back-to-their-community

Many of the 18 athletes on the U15 Shaler Area Middle School boys lacrosse team took time out of their day last month to give back to the school district and community.

The student athletes, who finished their season 8-1, worked together to plant flowers and shrubs in the middle school Courtyard Garden behind the school under the direction of lacrosse coach Alan Jaspert and parent volunteers.

“I want them to get to a point where they realize community service is fulfilling,” said Jaspert, a 2009 Shaler Area graduate and alumnus of the Shaler Area lacrosse program. “I wanted to give them that push and opportunity … so they can learn to give back to the community that serves them.”

Many of the plants and supplies were donated or purchased by parents of the lacrosse players or community members to complete the project. The students spread peat moss and placed a weed barrier down before planting boxwoods, shrubs and succulents, as well as mulching the garden.

“I thought it was an excellent idea, especially at the middle school U15 level, to have these boys do a community-service project,” said Dave Reagle, president of the Shaler Area Boys Lacrosse Booster Association.

“A lot of the people in this community support the lacrosse program, and I thought it was important for these kids to give something back to the community and learn there is more than just playing lacrosse.”

Source: http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yournorthhills/yournorthhillsmore/6235603-74/community-lacrosse-shaler#ixzz34R9ErgMT