The New York Institute of Technology athletics program recently placed itself at the forefront of a large community-service initiative celebrating the institution’s 50th anniversary.

From landscaping to cooking to fund raising, NYIT athletes moved their game faces off the fields and courts and into the New York City region through the "50 Hours for 50 Years" volunteer program.

"This has been an amazing experience," said Athletics Director Clyde Doughty Jr. "Our student-athletes have embraced the idea of helping others, and we plan to continue building our volunteer service program, which we believe is a core experience for Division II athletes."

The men’s basketball team prepared meals for the homeless and hungry at a soup kitchen in Glen Cove, doing everything from stocking the shelves to buttering the bread.

The men’s soccer team helped the Glen Cove Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation raise funds through a car wash that began with the washing of a Maserati Quattro Porte.

Meanwhile, members of the women’s soccer team brought their cooking skills to the Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park. After a tour of the house, the players prepared a variety of dishes, including chicken parmesan and pork chops, for the families.

The baseball team visited the Sterling Glen Senior Living Center of Glen Cove for social hour and enjoyed Scrabble and a game of bowling. The women’s basketball team helped at the Westbury School District’s Parent and Toddler Program, entertaining children with several games, including a lesson on how to dribble basketballs.

The women’s volleyball team cleaned and painted rooms at HELP USA in Wards Island, a center that provides homes, employment and services for the homeless, while the men’s and women’s cross country teams assisted with the organization and operation of the Hempstead’s Memorial Day Parade.

The softball team helped Nassau County Girl Scouts unload thousands of boxes of cookies during the annual Cookie Day pickup, and the lacrosse team volunteered at the Bailey Arboretum in Lattingtown, cleaning out the 30-acre park’s perennial and annual beds and performing other landscaping tasks.

"What these guys did in an hour usually takes three of our grounds people a couple of days to complete," said Joe Ferrara, volunteer coordinator for the arboretum. "We are extremely grateful for the team’s help and are excited to see that this relationship continues to grow."