Blue Devil Blog
Soccer, basketball teams giving back by giving blood
The men's soccer program teamed up with the Red Cross for two days for a Blood Drive on Feb. 3rd and 4th. The team solicited nearly 100 donors to support local Brooks Hospital. The blood collected from the donors is enough to meet the hospital's needs for nearly one month.
The men's basketball team is sponsoring a similar drive, going on today (Thursday, April 9) and tomorrow. The Blood Drive runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Williams Center.
Blue Devils doing their share
Everybody knows that in order to prepare for their season, the over 300 student-athletes at Fredonia State put in countless hours on the court, on the field, in the pool, in the rink and in the weight room. Their balance of athletic commitments with academic obligations is a source of pride in the the Fredonia State community.
Another source of pride is the amount of time student-athletes put forth to touch the lives of others, raise money for community and social efforts, and the volunteer work they do to establish good will for Fredonia State.
Teams give up their weekends and free time for a variety of community service projects. In one case, the assistance of a Blue Devil team was felt half way around the world. And while some teams receive national recognition, many have gone all but unnoticed.
Each season, Director of Athletics Greg Prechtl encourages coaches to have their teams participate in community service. In addition, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee takes on projects of its own.
Prechtl sees the work as a valuable part of the student-athletes' personal growth. “We believe that our young athletes – who have been blessed with exceptional talent and energy – have an obligation to help others who may be less fortunate,” he said. “It makes them more aware of their good fortune … and is a principle which will help us improve both our local and global community.”
In the past year alone, dozens of community service projects have taken place. Projects headed by the SAAC, which includes a minimum of two representatives from each Blue Devil team, include the Annual Leaf Rake, the Out of the Darkness Walk, and collecting money for the Toys for Tots.
This year's Out of the Darkness walk -- which brings awareness to suicide prevention -- had over 400 participants, including dozens of Fredonia State student-athletes. The leaf rake, which is done in conjunction with all the SUNYAC sister schools, has student-athletes taking pride in each school's surrounding community. With this year's Toys for Tots collection, the SAAC raised over $450 directly from Fredonia State students, and used the money to buy over 200 toys in conjunction with the local Troopers Toys for Tots, according to SAAC President Stephanie Maderer.
Many of the Blue Devil teams take ownership of projects on their own. The most widely known project this past year was the hockey team's Pink the Rink, which gained national attention in 2008. A capacity crowd witnessed the Blue Devils skate in their pink jerseys to promote breast cancer awareness and take part in the various fundraisers. The event centered around encouraging people to wear pink to the game, as well as opportunities to make a donation. The promotion raised $1,200 for the American Cancer Society, while also making ESPN SportCenter’s Top 10 Plays. In addition, the jerseys were auctioned off after the game.
This season, the Devils again pinked the rink on Feb. 7. The team is also sponsoring a season-long Power Plays for A Cure. They are asking for pledges of at least $1 for every power-play goal they score this season.
While some teams raise money, some give their time.
The women's tennis team has spent a significant amount of time visiting the Women's Christian Association home on Temple Street. For the past five years, head coach Joe Calarco and his team have helped the ladies at the WCA decorate their Christmas trees and write and address Christmas cards. "It is a wonderful experience both for the college coeds and the elderly residents," Calarco said.
The Red Cross conducts several blood drives on campus each year. And if there is a blood drive on campus, you can be sure student-athletes are involved. The men’s basketball team was honored prior to its game on Dec. 1 for its tremendous work with the Blood Bank of Western New York last October. The men’s soccer team sponsored a drive in February.
The night the men’s basketball team was honored coincided with the team's White Out promotion. Fredonia State students in attendance received a white Blue Devil t-shirt with a donation of non-perishable food items. The team collected over 275 pounds of food that was delivered to the Salvation Army in Dunkirk prior to Christmas.
The swim team had a more global approach. On Nov. 5, the team "dedicated time to making a difference in hunger by helping to aid people in Northern Uganda," according to junior Lindsay Aromola, the team's SAAC representative. The team had 43 volunteers participating in either the Swim for Hunger (swimmers) or Flips for Food (divers), and raised nearly $1,000.
Also, as part of the campus effort, the team volunteered to be a part of the Move in Crew for freshmen students at the start of the fall semester.
In addition to planned events, sometimes a cause finds a team. When two young children died in a house fire this fall, several of the women's volleyball players who knew the family felt compelled to help. Coach Geoff Braun and his team immediately set up a fundraiser at the next home game and raised $400.
Some teams took a direct approach to reach the local youth. On Oct. 31, the track and field team volunteered at a Halloween party held by the City of Dunkirk Youth Bureau and Recreation. Members of the baseball team spoke about the importance of schoolwork at Love Elementary School in Jamestown.
As one of the most active groups on campus, the Blue Devil student-athletes have become a recognizable and reliable bunch. They have raised money for charities near and far, they have donated their time and efforts, and they have been a ray of hope to those in need.
Toys for Tots
SAAC representatives Stephanie Maderer (left, Co-President and lacrosse player), purchased Toys for Tots, along with Jenna Tatu (center, volleyball), and Leanne Maloney (right, Co-President and volleyball).
SAAC worked this semester to raise money for the local charity Toys for Tots. The committee was able to raise over $450 and purchase over 200 toys. The toys will be given to Trooper's Toys for Tots (on West Main Street) and will go directly to local kids!
Swim Team unites for a great cause!
On Wednesday, November 5, 2008 the Fredonia State Swimming and Diving team dedicated time to making a difference in hunger by helping to aid people in Northern Uganda. We had a total of 43 volunteers that participated in either the Swim for Hunger or Flips for Food charity event. The swimmers completed a total of 308 laps in the Swim for Hunger at either 6:30am or at 3:30pm, while the divers completed Flips for Food at 3:30pm the same day.
As a participant of this event, I am proud to say that as a team we raised approximately $861. Prior to participating we each set a goal to individually raise $10 and as a team we wanted to raise at least $430. Heather Robin, a junior diver on the women's team, raised the most money of $135 while Peter Marshfield, a freshman swimmer on the men's team, raised $117.03. This was a great opportunity for us as a team to do especially since we well reached our goal! We took something that we do eight times a week and turned it into a quest to help the people in Northern Uganda. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this event!
- Lindsay Aromola, Swimming and Diving SAAC Rep
Track and the Dunkirk Youth Bureau and Recreation
On Friday, October 31, 2008 the FSU Track & Field team volunteered at halloween party held by the City of Dunkirk Youth Bureau and Recreation.
Cortland Relays
On Saturday, October 25, 2008 the Men and Women's Fredonia State Swimming and Diving team competed in a relay meet at SUNY Cortland. We all had an early rise Saturday morning as we had to meet to catch the bus at 5:45am. The drive was four hours. Once we got there the, diving team began their session at 11:00am while the swimmers began at noon. It was a meet against Cortland, Clarkson, Oswego, and Oneonta.
The relay meet was definitely a great experience because we were able to swim against schools that we usually do not compete with during the season. Like Mike Seay and Evan Prewitt had stated at the completion of the relay meet, "We did work!"
The final results of the relay meet were the men's team finishing second while the women's team finished third (click here). Our next home meet is November 1, 2008 against RIT.
- Lindsay Aromola, Swimming and Diving SAAC Rep
Ruterbusch Run
Former Blue Devil Track and Field Head Coach and Hall of Famer Jim Ulrich directs the participants in the run (left). In attendance (right) were coach Ulrich, Vice President for University Advancement Dr. David Tiffany, President Hefner, and Athletic Director Greg Prechtl.
On Saturday October 18 at 11am the Fredonia State Blue Devils track and field team hosted the second biennial Ruterbusch Memorial 5k run. Fred Ruterbusch was the first SUNY Fredonia athlete to earn All-America honors in track and field. Ruterbusch's talent in the javelin throw and leadership helped Fredonia win its first SUNYAC Conference titles for indoor and outdoor track and field titles in 1977-78. In attendance we had many athletes, residence hall volunteers, and several alumni. The event was a great success and we are thankful for everyone's support.
Out of the Darkness Walk
On Saturday, October 4, 2008, over 400 community members and students walked to raise awareness for suicide prevention in the Out of the Darkness Community Walk. A good chunk of the walkers were Fredonia State Athletes. The women's volleyball, tennis, basketball and lacrosse teams (below) were all present as well as the men's and women's track team. The athletes led the way with the banner as the group walked through town in support of suicide prevention.
Student-athletes participating in the Out of the Darkness walk.
McKinnon Family Fundraising
A local family,the McKinnons, recently experienced a tragedy. The SAAC wanted to help out in some way. On October 1st, SAAC representatives went into the dorms and asked the student community to help out this family in need. The representatives and student population were able to raise over $400 in a short amount of time. We wanted to thank everyone who donated as well as the representatives who gave up their time to help.
Members of the SAAC with their donation collected for the McKinnon family.
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