May 19, 2005

Moraga, CA - More than 95 Saint Mary's student-athletes and coaches joined forces with the town of Moraga on May 14 for Moraga the Beautiful, a day in which the community comes together to clean-up Moraga. The event was a great opportunity for Saint Mary's Athletics to give back to the community, which has played a large part in the success of its teams.

Members of men's and women's soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, men's and women's tennis, the spirit team, and men's and women's basketball all participated in the event. The student-athletes and coaches worked at Rancho Laguna Park and the Moraga Commons for two hours painting and staining equipment, cleaning up the grounds and weeding the skate park at the Moraga Commons. Dan Bernie, Superintendent of Park and Public Works was overwhelmed by the amount of participation from the student-athletes saying, "This project usually takes five hours, but with all this help, we'll be done in two. We really appreciate the help."

Moraga the Beautiful was a great experience for all the student-athletes and coaches, as they recognize the importance of enhancing relationships and serving as role models within the community. Senior women's soccer player Sarah Takekawa had this to say about the experience, "We appreciate the tremendous support we receive and are excited about being able to give something back to the community. It was a great team building experience."