The Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee recognized campus affiliates at Houston and Minnesota with the national group’s Award of Excellence, an honor designed to acknowledge student-athlete community-service work.

The group at Houston was recognized for reviving a SAAC program that had been largely inactive. Under a new athletics director who placed a premium on student-athlete leadership, the Houston SAAC began regular meetings, launched a Web site and signed up for five community-service events this semester: a diabetes walk, the Houston Marathon kids kick-off, a literacy event, a holiday party and a homeless benefit. The group also instituted a new initiative designed to encourage student-athletes to attend each others’ events, and sponsors regular leadership talks with head coaches or administrators.

The Houston SAAC also began goal-setting, brainstorming ideas to improve the campus community and student-athlete well-being. Associate Athletics Director Maria Peden credited Athletics Director Mack Rhoades with making a strong SAAC a priority, meeting regularly with SAAC leadership to identify goals and developing plans to meet them.

“His leadership and support of our Student-Athlete Advisory Council inspired and energized our representatives this fall to start meeting every other week, to push themselves to reach out to the community and to their fellow student-athletes in terms of support and to come up with a slate of goals that can enhance their academic and athletics progress,” Peden said. “The result has been a rapid increase in attendance at various life skills, outreach and athletics events, a renewed energy and initiative in terms of community service and a real spirit of community among our student-athletes.”

Minnesota’s SAAC was honored for its longtime commitment to youth in the Twin Cities area through the HopeKids organization. HopeKids provides activities and events for seriously ill children, giving them something to look forward to with the idea that hope is a powerful treatment. Minnesota annually hosts the Allianz HopeKids HopeDay Festival, which includes sporting clinics from all 25 Golden Gopher sports, a dunk tank and an obstacle course. The event also includes kids’ activities such as pony rides, a petting zoo, a rock-climbing wall and face-painting. More than 500 student-athletes and 1,400 members from HopeKids took part in the 2009 festival.

The Minnesota SAAC also acquired a 21-passenger bus dedicated to community-service use. The Maroon and Gold Impacting the Community (MAGIC) Bus was pressed into service six times in the first two weeks of 2009-10, taking student-athletes into the community.

The Division I SAAC created the Award of Excellence earlier this year to honor local affiliates for their work in several categories: progress and growth, community service/outreach, sportsmanship initiatives, teamwork, originality and leadership. The award is intended to bring attention to the good work of student-athletes and also raise the profile of the national committee.