Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Continues Impressive Community Service Work
11/8/2001 7:00:00 AM | General
Nov. 8, 2001
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) maintained its notable track record of community service earlier this month with the highly successful Middle School Activities Night held at Lewisburg Middle School.
Over 150 Lewisburg Middle School children interacted with over 100 Bucknell student-athletes for over two hours on Nov. 2. The event had a dual purpose of introducing sports to middle school aged children, while also having these same children interrelate with Bucknell students as positive role models.
Twenty-two of Bucknell's 28 varsity sports participated in the event (athletic contests prevented others from attending), and each Lewisburg middle schooler received a prize that was donated by Bucknell sports teams. These included jerseys, shirts, caps, golf balls, swimming caps, key chains and sweat shirts. Bucknell Dining Services donated food and drinks, while Vennari's Pizza donated pies.
"The children really seemed to enjoy the event," said Lewisburg Middle School Principal Floyd Walters. "It was well organized and thought out. We hope to do it every year."
"We tried to create a fun atmosphere with top 40 music playing in the background and providing food," said Bucknell assistant athletic director and SAAC advisor Jeff Konya. "Sports can teach youngsters a lot about competition, sportsmanship and time management, but it can be enjoyable too. This is the age when children should be exposed to a number of sports to see what sparks their interest."
The Bucknell SAAC also recently organized a fundraiser for the United Way and the Bucknell University September 11 Scholarship fund. The group sold American flag decals for one dollar at a pair of Bison football games, raising over $600 for the relief efforts in New York City and Washington, D.C.
A student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC) is a committee made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight on the student-athlete experience and to offer input on the rules, regulations and polices that affect student-athletes' lives on NCAA member institution campuses.
Presently, there are separate national SAACs for NCAA Divisions I, II and III member institutions. NCAA legislation mandates that all member institutions have SAACs on their respective campuses, and many NCAA conferences also have established SAACs.
