Courtesy of Cortland and New Paltz Sports Information Departments
It is more than just performing well as a team during games. Community service is important while being an athlete as well. During winter break, Cortland men's lacrosse and New Paltz women's basketball helped those in need.
Cortland men's lacrosse took part in its inaugural community service week during the week of January 8-12. Each member of the event volunteered at least 10 hours of time.
Some areas of service that the team did consisted of building homes in Jamaica for mentally and physically challenged families, shoveling driveways and roofs during Syracuse area snow storms, volunteering in a special education class in Bethel, Connecticut, and visiting adult care facilities in Suffolk County.
New Paltz women's basketball volunteered with Habitat For Humanity. When searching for a community service project, sophomore Philesha Teape wanted to do something she had never done before. When she came across Habitat for Humanity, she felt it would be a great opportunity for her and her teammates to try something new.
On January 10, Teape and her teammates traveled to Newburgh, N.Y. and worked with Habitat for Humanity volunteers, helping in the construction of a new community. No one on the Hawks had construction experience, but they were up for the challenge.
"We all felt like we were doing something bigger than ourselves. There is so much more out there and it felt good at the end of the day," said Teape.
Both teams followed through with the State University of New York Athletic Conference's (SUNYAC) vision of fostering the development of student-athletes through leadership opportunities and professional development.
