For Official Release in PDF: click here
RICHARDSON, Texas –– Student-Athlete Advisory Committees from the 15 American Southwest Conference campuses combined to raise a record $8,761.14 for local community organizations in the third annual “Make a Change in 14 Days” loose coin collection project.
Fifteen different organizations received support through the local campus fundraising efforts held from January 26-February 7. Included were the American Heart Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kerrville (Texas), Boys & Girls Club of Marshall (Texas), Breast Cancer Network of Strength, Buckner Children and Family Services, Cabrini Cancer Center, Children’s Miracle Network at the Hendrick Children’s Hospital of Abilene (Texas), Head Start Program of Brownwood (Texas), Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Make a Wish Foundation of North Texas, Rapides Regional Medical Center, Relay for Life, Salvation Army and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The family of Tonya Cano, wife of a Sul Ross State employee who is battling cancer, also received support.
“The student-athletes of the American Southwest Conference continue to display a willingness and enthusiastic spirit to be involved in supporting organizations within their communities,” ASC Commissioner Amy Carlton said.
In the three years of the conference-wide community service campaign, nearly $20,000 has been raised to benefit 31 different charitable organizations in ASC campus communities. The 2009 total bettered last year’s record by $622.26.
“I am impressed by this year’s record-setting level of support for the conference-wide community service project,” added Carlton.
The two-week SAAC event is also designed as a challenge among the ASC member campuses and is scheduled during the turn of the conference Division basketball schedule. Louisiana College, University of the Ozarks, Mississippi College and University of Texas at Dallas claimed the 2009 division pool title with a combined collection of $3,674.09.
Louisiana College, located in Pineville, La., was the top-collecting ASC institution for the second straight year, raising $2,211.08. LC again will split its funds raised between two local breast cancer treatment facilities, Cabrini Cancer Center and Rapides Regional Life Center. The two organizations were selected by the Louisiana College SAAC by recommendation of Lady Wildcats women’s basketball coach Janice Joseph-Richard, who is undergoing treatment for a reoccurrence of breast cancer. The coach learned of the return of her cancer a week before the Make a Change in 14 Days campaign began.
“That really jump-started it,” said Louisiana College SAAC President McCaslin Carson, a senior All-American softball player. “We did what we could for (Coach Joseph-Richard). So many people helped out – it wasn’t just the SAAC. ”
LC collected the bulk of its funds at H.O. West Fieldhouse on January 29 and 31 as the Wildcats took on Texas-Dallas and Ozarks, respectively, in conference basketball action. In two years, Carson and SAAC Advisor Donnie Broussard have guided the collection of $5,534.89, all directed toward breast cancer research.
“It has all been for a really good cause,” Carson said.
The student-athlete advisory committees at McMurry University and Ozarks each raised more than $1,000, while Schreiner University, Concordia University Texas, Texas Lutheran, University of Texas at Tyler, Sul Ross State University and East Texas Baptist University also posted their best “Make a Change in 14 Days” total in the three-year campaign. UT Tyler made its donation to Relay for Life in honor of Joseph-Richard.
2009 “MAKE A CHANGE IN 14 DAYS”
Student-Athlete Advisory Committees from the American Southwest Conference Teamed Together in collecting Loose Change earmarked for a local community organization from January 26 – February 7, 2009:
ASC INSITUTION: Local Organization (Funds Raised)
CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY TEXAS: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society ($728.34)
EAST TEXAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY: Boys & Girls Club of Marshall, Texas ($202.29)
HARDIN-SIMMONS UNIVERSITY: Children’s Miracle Network at Hendrick Children’s Hospital of Abilene, Texas ($77.00)
HOWARD PAYNE UNIVERSITY: Head Start Program of Brownwood, Texas ($65.43)
LETOURNEAU UNIVERSITY: Buckner Children and Family Services ($133.91)
LOUISIANA COLLEGE: Cabrini Cancer Center / Rapides Regional Medical Center ($2,211.08)
UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR: Salvation Army, entry fees and sports equipment for disadvantaged youth ($700.00)
MCMURRY UNIVERSITY: Children’s Miracle Network at Hendrick Children’s Hospital of Abilene, Texas ($1,031.39)
MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE: Susan G. Komen for the Cure ($325.23)
UNIVERSITY OF THE OZARKS: American Heart Association ($1,026.81)
SCHREINER UNIVERSITY: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kerrville, Texas ($901.10)
SUL ROSS STATE UNIVERSITY: Family of Tonya Cano ($260.00)
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS: Make A Wish Foundation of North Texas ($110.97)
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT TYLER: Relay for Life, in honor of Louisiana College women’s basketball head coach Janice Joseph-Richard ($362.59)
TEXAS LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY: Breast Cancer Network of Strength ($625.00)
COMBINED TOTAL
$8,761.14
TOP-COLLECTING STUDENT-ATHLETE ADVISORY COMMITTE
Louisiana College
Total: $2,211.08
DIVISION POOLS
1ST PLACE
Louisiana College, University of the Ozarks, Mississippi College, University of Texas at Dallas
Combined Total: $3,674.09
McMurry University, Concordia University Texas, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons University
Combined Total: $2,536.73
Schreiner University, Texas Lutheran University, Sul Ross State University, Howard Payne University
Combined Total: $1,851.53
University of Texas at Tyler, East Texas Baptist University, LeTourneau University
Combined Total: $698.53
THREE-YEAR COMBINED TOTAL