Fontbonne Athletics Highlights Community Service During D3 Week
In acknowledging NCAA Division III Week this week, the Griffins are recognizing community service projects completed during the 2015-16 school year.
In the fall, women's volleyball volunteered at an oudoor concert in Columbia, Ill. called Songs for Soldiers. the Griffins worked with TeamWork, an organization which provides aid and relief to young adults with developmental disabilities in their transition to independent adult living. The volleyball team sorted through trash and recycling and also sold Chick-Fil-A sandwiches to raise money for TeamWork.
Baseball completed their annual volunteer work at the Shining Tree Lot at the Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments. The Griffins help unload Christmas Trees to setup for the sale season where funds go back to the Delta Gamma Center to run their programs.
The baseball team also worked Pedal for a Cause in September. The Griffins used their man-power to help breakdown the event, much to the relief of fellow volunteers and staff members who worked throughout the day to raise money for cancer research. Pedal the Cause is a two-day event that donates 100% of their proceeds to the Siteman Cancer Center and St. Louis Children's Hospital to advance lifesaving research. More information on the event can be found here.
Women's basketball rang kettle bells over the Christmas holidays at five different locations near Fontbonne University. The Griffins had some fun dressing up in character as they raised around $3500 for the Salvation Army.
Men's basketball cheered on the local St. Louis Falcons Special Olympic basketball team in their annual women's basketball halftime contest.
The basketball teams and SAAC came together for Coaches vs. Cancer. The Griffins netted over $440 for the American Cancer Society.
SAAC also produced roughly 100 canned goods at a women's volleyball game in the fall. The canned goods were donated to the local St. Vincent de Paul society at All Saints Catholic Church in University City.
Softball spent the day entertaining children at one of the Community Action Agency of St. Louis County's (CAASTL) fairs. During the event, children's activities such as farm animals, face painting and crafts are provided to make it a fun and educational experience for the entire family. The Griffins turn out each year to help with these children's activities while their parents are educated on home life. More info on CAASTL is below:
CAASTLC conducts a series of community resource fairs each year throughout St. Louis County. The purpose is to educate low-income families on how to save on utility bills, how to make their home more energy efficient, how to enroll in the Affordable Care Act insurance and how to purchase a home. A variety of vendors such as banks, utility companies, health service providers, and non-profit agencies participate to provide a wealth of information for families all in one place. CAASTLC serves over 25,000 unduplicated low-income County residents each year.
Men's Volleyball spent time with the St. Louis Arc at their Fall Dance. The Griffins attended the dance for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities where they aided with setup, checked in dancers, collected money, served refreshments and aided with cleanup. The Griffins were encouraged to socialize and dance with the participants as well. St. Louis Arc's mission is to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to lead better lives by providing a lifetime of high-quality services, family support and advocacy.
Men's Lacrosse sent time at the St. Patrick Center in the fall, where they cooked dinner for a women's group. The St. Patrick Center is one of Missouri's largest providers of housing, employment and health opportunities for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. They take an action-based approach to service and offer nationally recognized programs that assist more than 5,700 people each year with a mission to help individuals and families move from homelessness to independence in dignified, cost-effective and permanent ways.
The soccer teams will be working with the Special Needs Soccer Association (SPENSA). SPENSA is a not-for-profit, St. Louis-based soccer program for young people with disabilities. The Griffins typically host a mini SPENSA soccer game at halftime during a regular season game. This year, the Griffins are volunteering at one of SPENSA's games this Saturday, April 9th.
In addition, plenty of Griffins within the Fontbonne Community will participate in Fontbonne Day on April 15th. Fontbonne Day is an annual event where the University halts classes and business for a day. Fontonne Day captains take their teams to select locations across the St. Louis Metropolitan area to provide community service. All Griffins then come back together to share and reflect on their experiences.
STORY COURTESY OF FONTBONNE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE