National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Mar 25, 2010 9:04:48 AM

Two Division II conferences and one institution have taken unique steps recently to engage communities and support worthy causes.

Member schools from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference raised more than $10,000 for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and other local breast cancer organizations during basketball games this year. 

Meanwhile, dance teams and cheerleading squads from eight institutions joined together on March 20 to perform in the East Coast Conference's Spirit Showcase, an event that raised more than $2,500 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

And after hosting the NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in Canton, Ohio, Lock Haven University donated about 300 servings of food to the local community.

Conference-wide initiative

The GLIAC used the power of its collective membership to benefit the fight against cancer. In a conference-wide initiative, the league started its own version of the WBCA's Pink Zone to incorporate all sports. 

The GLIAC effort is called the "Pink Wave," which plays off the leagues proximity to the Great Lakes.

Saginaw Valley State structured its event as a celebration with a halftime recognition of 37 breast cancer survivors, gifts and a meal after the game. Other members, like Michigan Tech, auctioned off warm-up T-shirts that raised more than $1,000. Other schools teamed with local hospitals, doctors and health networks to provide educational materials and giveaways.

 "The success of our events has been due to the overwhelming commitment of our outstanding coaches, administrators and student-athletes," said GLIAC Commissioner Dell Robinson. "We look forward to many more success stories from our member schools." 

Over the last year, GLIAC members have raised more than $25,000 through promotions and have honored more than 100 breast cancer survivors at basketball games, volleyball matches, swim meets, football games and softball games.

Check out what the GLIAC is doing to promote breast cancer awareness and cure at http://www.gliac.org/information/bca/index.

Dancing with the schools

In recognition of the hard work that cheerleading squads and dance teams put forth throughout the year, East Coast Conference officials wanted to give them a chance to perform in front of friends and family outside their normal setting.

ECC Commissioner Robert Dranoff said the idea took off once it was combined with the ongoing commitment the league has to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Performers included cheerleading squads from Adelphi, Dowling, Molloy, NYIT and dance teams from Dowling, Molloy and Queens (New York).

Paul Rosario, a wish recipient and speaker for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, told the crowd in Quealy Gymnasium on the Molloy campus how much of an impact a wish makes on the life of a child.

"As a former wish recipient who knows first-hand about the lasting positive impact of a wish on a child diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, it was amazing to see so many people come together to raise funds to make more wishes like mine come true," Rosario said. 

The ECC surpassed its goal of $2,000 through ticket sales, raffles and concessions.

Pooling their resources

Not only did Lock Haven student-athletes volunteer their time to help host the Division II swimming championships in Canton, Ohio, they also donated the leftover food to Community Harvest, Inc., a nonprofit food rescue program that links sources of unused cooked and fresh food from restaurants, caterers, stores, cafeterias and hotel kitchens with community-service agencies.

Unused food from the championships hospitality area included hot and cold entrees and side dishes, fresh fruits and vegetables, and canned and bottled beverages. Lock Haven also donated items such as paper plates, napkins and disposable cutlery.

In a letter thanking the school for its donation, Community Harvest Executive Director Faith Barbato wrote, "It was such an honor for Canton to host the recent NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships. However, your decision to host the championships here goes far beyond the economic benefits for my city. Your donation of food after the events represents a true sense of stewardship and generosity to our community that is both touching and inspiring."

The donations amounted to about 300 servings of food that were delivered to the Canton Friendship Center, the Canton Domestic Violence Center and the Canton YWCA.