Photo by: SMC Athletics / Brian Brownfield
Community Service Shines During SAAC Gives Back Week
5/5/2023 12:07:00 PM | General
MORAGA, Calif. — During the week of April 23-29, Saint Mary's Athletics and SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) hosted SAAC Gives Back Week, a weeklong effort focused around community service projects. Student-athletes themselves not only bought into SAAC Gives Back Week, but got strong buy-in from the surrounding Saint Mary's community to help make a difference.
The week began on Sunday, April 23 with Play Like a Girl+, which took place at Piedmont High School. The second annual event is for girls ranging from the age of 2-18 to get engaged with a variety of new sports in a fun and interactive way. There was a total of 20 different stations where girls could try their hand at a new sport, and the event also featured Q&A sessions, photo ops, and more. From the Gaels, members of the women's soccer, volleyball, and cross country teams were in attendance, including former Gael great Mandy Bible.
The next day, a large number of Gaels took part in the Blue Jean Mile. In support of Sexual Awareness Month, individuals were encouraged to wear denim and tea
l to combat victim blaming and support survivors mental health. Last year's event had around 20 participants, but this year's event grew to well over 100 individuals, including staff and student-athletes from 10 different teams. The group did a loop around campus starting at the bus loop in front of chapel lawn. It tied in directly with the "Teal Out" game for a Gaels Basketball doubleheader on January 7, which was spearheaded in part thanks to the efforts of senior runner Lauren Kearney.
Throughout the month of April, and culminating during SAAC Gives Back Week, the Gaels held donation bins for the One World Running shoe drive. Sofia Cuevas Dorador helped launch this effort one year ago in partnership with the office of sustainability. The shoe drive was a resounding success across campus, collecting over 100 pairs of shoes this year alone for those in need. The efforts have spread beyond the campus, as Cuevas Dorador has received donations from local businesses such as Athletic Outpost in Walnut Creek, which has donated several pairs of new shoes to the cause.
One of the leaders of SAAC is Jonathan Curran, a redshirt junior on the golf team at Saint Mary's. He spoke with SMC Athletics about the tremendous dedication his fellow student-athletes had the entire year to help make a week like SAAC Gives Back Week even more special. For the entire year, Gaels student-athletes have over 1,100 hours of community service.
"I am most proud of the commitment and enthusiasm that my fellow student-athletes expressed when serving our community this year," said Curran. "SAAC created an ambitious goal of winning the WCC Community Service Award this year, which is presented to the school that made the most impact in their communities through dedicated hours of service. Whether we win the award or not, the relationships and memories that we have made will have a lasting positive effect on so many lives in our community.
"It was awesome to have student-athletes ask me when the next community service event is and how they can sign up. That's a real testament to the selfless culture that Saint Mary's has established and embraced."
The week began on Sunday, April 23 with Play Like a Girl+, which took place at Piedmont High School. The second annual event is for girls ranging from the age of 2-18 to get engaged with a variety of new sports in a fun and interactive way. There was a total of 20 different stations where girls could try their hand at a new sport, and the event also featured Q&A sessions, photo ops, and more. From the Gaels, members of the women's soccer, volleyball, and cross country teams were in attendance, including former Gael great Mandy Bible.
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The next day, a large number of Gaels took part in the Blue Jean Mile. In support of Sexual Awareness Month, individuals were encouraged to wear denim and tea
l to combat victim blaming and support survivors mental health. Last year's event had around 20 participants, but this year's event grew to well over 100 individuals, including staff and student-athletes from 10 different teams. The group did a loop around campus starting at the bus loop in front of chapel lawn. It tied in directly with the "Teal Out" game for a Gaels Basketball doubleheader on January 7, which was spearheaded in part thanks to the efforts of senior runner Lauren Kearney.
Throughout the month of April, and culminating during SAAC Gives Back Week, the Gaels held donation bins for the One World Running shoe drive. Sofia Cuevas Dorador helped launch this effort one year ago in partnership with the office of sustainability. The shoe drive was a resounding success across campus, collecting over 100 pairs of shoes this year alone for those in need. The efforts have spread beyond the campus, as Cuevas Dorador has received donations from local businesses such as Athletic Outpost in Walnut Creek, which has donated several pairs of new shoes to the cause.
One of the leaders of SAAC is Jonathan Curran, a redshirt junior on the golf team at Saint Mary's. He spoke with SMC Athletics about the tremendous dedication his fellow student-athletes had the entire year to help make a week like SAAC Gives Back Week even more special. For the entire year, Gaels student-athletes have over 1,100 hours of community service.
"I am most proud of the commitment and enthusiasm that my fellow student-athletes expressed when serving our community this year," said Curran. "SAAC created an ambitious goal of winning the WCC Community Service Award this year, which is presented to the school that made the most impact in their communities through dedicated hours of service. Whether we win the award or not, the relationships and memories that we have made will have a lasting positive effect on so many lives in our community.
"It was awesome to have student-athletes ask me when the next community service event is and how they can sign up. That's a real testament to the selfless culture that Saint Mary's has established and embraced."
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