E&H SAAC Spearheads Service Projects
Wasps Contribute to Special Olympics Virginia and Feeding America Southwest Virginia
EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry
College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee spent the final weeks of
the fall semester working not only to finish strong in the
classroom but to make a difference in the community. The purpose of
the NCAA-affiliated organization is to provide leadership and to be
a voice for the student-athlete body at large. Each of Emory &
Henry’s 13 intercollegiate teams are represented on the
board, which numbered 29 at the close of the fall semester.
As a part of NCAA Division III’s nation-wide campaign with
Special Olympics, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference has gone
into partnership with Special Olympics Virginia. The E&H SAAC
kicked off its efforts with the annual Faculty/Staff Appreciation
Day.
The event took place on Wednesday, December 7 during the
Wasps’ men’s basketball game against the Pride of
Greensboro College. In addition to door prizes given to various
employees of Emory & Henry, the SAAC had t-shirts designed to
commemorate the event with proceeds going to benefit Special
Olympics Virginia. The group raised nearly $200 for Special
Olympics Virginia and also plans to send several t-shirts to the
organization’s headquarters.
“It was great to see so many students, faculty and staff
members in the stands. The atmosphere was
electric,” said Josh
Parmenter, Head Women’s Tennis Coach and SAAC
Advisor. “I saw every member of the SAAC either
working the t-shirt table, welcoming faculty and staff, or
supporting the team in the stands. This is a credit to each of
them, and it also is a reflection of the strong leadership of
President Samantha Lucado and Vice
President Ross Ellis.”
The SAAC also took it upon itself to help those less fortunate
during the Thanksgiving season. In conjunction with Feeding
America, the Emory & Henry community collected 336 pounds of
food over the course of a two-week period prior to Thanksgiving.
The donations were large enough for Feeding America Southwest
Virginia, which has offices in Abingdon and Salem, to provide over
250 meals to those who might go without.
“The food drive was a huge success and we were able to get
participation from every sports team on
campus,” said junior football player and SAAC Vice
President Ross Ellis. “The
campus really came through, and it feels good to have helped so
many people during the holiday season. Being able to do things like
this makes us proud to be Waspers.”
“These are the sorts of projects that require creativity,
initiative, and significant advanced
planning,” added Parmenter. “For our
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to pull together events of this
magnitude at such a busy time in the semester is nothing short of
amazing. I think this speaks to the how much our student-athletes
value the work of Special Olympics Virginia and Feeding
America.”
---This release is
courtesy of the Emory & Henry College sports information
department. ---
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