Student-athletes at North Dakota, Arkansas Tech and Saint Mary's (Minnesota) have earned the NCAA Team Works Community Service Competition award powered by Helper Helper for their community outreach efforts.
NCAA Team Works, which coordinates community service efforts at the NCAA championships, and Helper Helper, a volunteer management and tracking platform, launched the community service competition to recognize student-athletes who give back to their communities. The competition, which ran from September through November, is based on the number of service hours completed and the number of participating student-athletes. Helper Helper tracks the school participation data throughout the competition.
North Dakota earned first place in the Division I category. During the challenge, nearly every student-athlete at the university participated in at least one community outreach project, making a $61,703 economic impact. The athletes shared their time and talents by participating in youth athletics clinics, hosting a Halloween bash, supporting Special Olympics and mentoring youth. Throughout the fall, the North Dakota student-athletes participated in 67 events supporting more than 15 local organizations.
"The support we student-athletes receive from the community is second to none, so to be able to give just a fraction back to the community has been so meaningful," said Claire Orth, who is on North Dakota's women's basketball team and is a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee executive board member. "Our athletics department prides itself in being a culture of service, so we are very proud to be recognized for this accomplishment."
"What an amazing accomplishment by our student-athletes, staff and coaches," North Dakota Athletics Director Bill Chaves said. "I can guarantee you that they were not interested in winning an award — but we are grateful — but rather continue the amazing tradition of giving back to our community in meaningful ways. The Grand Forks community/state of North Dakota is so special, and the support that they provide us is immeasurable so us, making sure that we make a difference in serving our community annually is natural. … Finally, community service has been a staple for many, many years in this athletics department, and we need to thank everyone that has come before us, as they are no doubt a part of this recognition."
Taking first-place honors in the Division II category was Arkansas Tech. Spending more than 2,500 hours in their community, the university's student-athletes supported 15 organizations. Efforts included community cleanups, youth programs, donating blood, a sock drive and food donations.
Holly Crutchfield, a Golden Suns softball athlete, said, "Community service is very special to me because of its immense impact on me and my team. I am grateful for the opportunity to use my time to help have a lasting mark in this amazing town. My team and I enjoy making an impact, and we look forward to continuing this tradition."
"Community service is a cornerstone of our athletics department," Arkansas Tech Athletics Director Abby Davis said. "It is a significant priority among all of our programs and helps develop our student-athletes into all-around people and prepare them for life after athletics. We are appreciative of the time they commit to serving in our community, and we are better as a whole because of it."
The Division III award went to student-athletes at Saint Mary's. This is their first year competing in the challenge, and the university's student-athletes jumped into action logging hours that pushed them to the top. These efforts made a $34,219 economic impact on their community during the challenge. Supporting efforts like community cleanups, a senior center Halloween party and a food rescue allowed the Saint Mary's student-athletes to have a lasting impact.
"At Saint Mary's, our athletics department prides itself on developing the whole person, not just the athlete," said Sarah Murray, Saint Mary's women's ice hockey coach and volunteer coordinator. "Serving others is one of the best ways for our athletes to develop empathy, cooperation and gratitude, shifting the focus from themselves to the needs of others. It also allows us to meet and learn from a range of new people and create memorable experiences with our teammates and members of our community that will last a lifetime."
"We are thrilled to be atop the standings for the DIII Helper Helper service challenge," Saint Mary's Athletics Director Brian Sisson said. "This is a testament to all of our student-athletes and staff and for the large impact, they make on a daily basis both in Winona and the surrounding campus community. Service and making an impact on others is one of our foundation pillars of what we are about at Saint Mary's within the athletics department. We look forward to a great semester with our student-athletes and staff and continuing to make a positive impact in the local community."
Finishing behind North Dakota in the Division I competition were Towson and Miami (Florida). Division II second- and third-place finishers were Georgian Court and Georgia Southwestern, respectively. Shenandoah and Ozarks (Arkansas) rounded out the Division III second- and third-place spots.
"NCAA student-athletes continue to give back to the communities that support them on a regular basis across the nation," said Victor Hill, associate director of Team Works. "It is our pleasure to recognize their tremendous efforts that impact their communities in this great time of need nationwide. In addition to earning a degree and having the privilege to compete at a national level, we see that doing community service also contributes to the overall student-athlete experience in a very positive way that in many cases produces a lifelong commitment social responsibility."
The student-athletes at North Dakota, Arkansas Tech and Saint Mary's all will receive an award from the NCAA and Helper Helper. This is the ninth NCAA Team Works Community Service Competition powered by Helper Helper.