NCAA student-athletes are known for a variety of attributes such as high performance, dedication, strength, perseverance and power. One attribute often overlooked, though, is heart. Student-athletes have plenty of heart, and many Student-Athlete Advisory Committees are finding more ways to show it.

Two years ago, the Division II SAAC realized the impact of that heart, not just on the playing surface, but for much more lasting purposes as well. It was then that the national Make-A-Wish fund-raiser was born.

SAAC members have seen the fruits of their labor grow enormously since then. In October, several SAAC members experienced firsthand their impact through the partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. At the national Make-A-Wish corporate sponsorship summit in Disneyland, representatives from the NCAA and SAAC met with Make-A-Wish employees, sponsors and volunteers from around the country. As part of the experience they attended educational sessions and shared ideas. They also had the opportunity to meet with both the current CEO and the founders of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The NCAA Division II SAAC was recognized as a "friend" to the foundation for its fund-raising efforts, which totaled more than $78,000 last year.

However, the most exciting portion of the trip was actually meeting and spending time with some of the families who were there to have their "wishes" granted. During the evening, sponsors, volunteers, employees -- and most importantly the "Wish Kids" and their families -- got to spend time together. There was no greater reward for SAAC members than seeing those kids -- if only for a night -- smile and forget life's problems.

Seeing the true "peace, hope and joy" in the faces of the children and families as a result of the Make-A-Wish Foundation -- and the fund-raising efforts of the Division II SAAC -- serves as a true inspiration, and a testament to the heart of the NCAA's student-athletes.

Megan Burd
Student-Athlete Wheeling Jesuit University Member, West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Division II SAAC