UW-Oshkosh Athletics Recognized For Community Service
The UW-Oshkosh athletics department’s partnership with Feeding America received recognition for community service by the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA).
UW-Oshkosh was among five institutions to garner Honorable Mention commendation in the NADIIIAA’s One-Time Project Category for the 2016-17 academic year.
UW-Oshkosh’s Feeding America mobile pantries in Kolf Sports Center on Dec. 22, 2016, and April 20, 2017, both fed between 400-500 families. The December event was the largest in the State of Wisconsin.
The mobile pantries were conducted by UW-Oshkosh athletics department coaches, administrators and more than 200 student-athletes.
UW-Oshkosh has hosted nine Feeding America mobile pantries since 2012. The events have provided 186,000 pounds of food to families in need in the Oshkosh area. Food purchased for the mobile pantries are funded by donations from sport programs, athletic corporate sponsorships, area grants and local fund-raisers.
Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, is a nationwide network of food banks that has served more than 46 million people in need, including 12 million children and 7 million senior citizens.
Hartwick College (N.Y.) was named the winner in the One-Time Project Category for its “Goals For Gus” fund-raiser. Hartwick College field hockey student-athlete Maxine Dunn, with support from head coach Anna Meyer and her teammates, created the fund-raiser for a boy named Gus, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Dunn and her team raised funds through sponsorship, donations, letter writing and hosting a game in Gus’ honor.
The NADIIIAA’s One-Time Project Category included Awards of Merit for three institutions in addition to the five Honorable Mention recipients.
Receiving Awards of Merit were Averett University (Va.), Lake Forest College (Ill.) and UW-Stevens Point.
Joining UW-Oshkosh in earning Honorable Mention status were East Texas Baptist University, Smith College (Mass.), Stevens Institute of Technology (N.J.) and University of Southern Maine.
Oberlin College (Ohio) won the NADIIIAA’s An Array Of Projects Category for its “Lorain Community Outreach” while Aurora University (Ill.) was the winner in the On-Going Projects Category for its “Triple Threat” mentoring and food pantry.
The NADIIIAA is comprised of athletics administrators from more than 350 NCAA Division III institutions. The association, in its 53rd year, encourages the continued development of athletics programs focused on the student-athlete, based on sound educational principles and the Division III philosophy.