Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Athletics Serves the Community at Holiday Time
12/17/2019 3:12:00 PM | Student-Athlete Enrichment
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- As part of a university-wide effort, Bucknell Athletics has been actively participating in several community engagement events throughout this holiday season. Around the Thanksgiving holiday, in partnership with the Office of Civic Engagement, coaches and staff members put together seven baskets for the Turkey and Trimmings initiative. These baskets provide a complete Thanksgiving meal to local families of four. In total, the university was able to provide Thanksgiving dinner for over 500 community residents.
In addition, through Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) sponsored canned food drives during men’s and women’s basketball games, fans who brought non-perishable items to the game received a free program. All 27 Bucknell teams set out to collect canned goods, and in total over 700 items were secured. All items were donated to the Eastern Union County Supplemental Food Program in Lewisburg. Throughout the fall semester, student-athletes have been volunteering bi-weekly at the Lewisburg EUCSFP food bank. At the final December volunteer opportunity, they were joined by head coaches Dan Wirnsberger, Dave Cecchini and Tammy Cecchini.
"We really had a great time this semester helping out the local community," said junior wrestler Nate Feyrer, who serves as the SAAC Community Service Chair. "Between helping out at the food bank, giving gifts to children in need, and collecting cans at Bucknell basketball games, our team and SAAC has worked hard to promote Bison Athletics all throughout the Lewisburg area.”
To wrap up the semester, through the Giving Tree initiative, the Athletics & Recreation Department was able to fully adopt two local agencies -- Essex Place and Meadowview -- and complete all of their holiday gift requests. For the first time, SAAC took on this initiative with their teams and had 100 percent team participation, each fulfilling at least one gift tag, with some teams satisfying as many as eight tag requests. Coaches and staff members also contributed to the cause at the Department holiday party. In total, more than 60 gift tags were fulfilled and over $600 was raised for additional support for the local agencies.
