DBU Basketball Team Partners With Voice of Hope
On Saturday, September 13, the Dallas Baptist University Basketball team partnered with Voice of Hope to reach out to youth from the West Dallas area. Fifteen young men who are involved with Voice of Hope’s after school program were selected to participate in a basketball camp hosted by DBU Basketball. The DBU players and coaches led these young men in basic fundamental basketball skills and spent one on one time with them answering questions and developing relationships with younger students. We talked about the value of a good education and attending college and the need to make wise, Biblical choices along the way.
It was a very fun morning full of practical jokes and competition. Everyone involved had a great time and there are already plans to do it again.
Voice of Hope Ministries exists to provide children living in the neighborhoods of West Dallas with strong character models, education support, life skills, and family support services needed to become productive Christian citizens. Inner-city families are equipped with resources and skills needed to overcome and break the poverty cycle. The ministry seeks to meet the needs by addressing the whole person - spiritual, physical, and mental - through training, mentoring, exposure, emergency assistance, affirmation, counseling, networking and partnerships with other community agencies.
Heartland Conference Gives Back at Conference Basketball Tournament
The Heartland Conference invited teams from the Denton Youth Basketball League to the 2008 Heartland Conference Basketball Championship Tournament to show off their skills and experience the excitement of NCAA Division II Basketball.
As part of the Heartland Conference’s strategic goal of engaging local communities, Heartland Conference commissioner Tony Stigliano arranged for several youth teams to play a “mini-game” during halftime of the men’s championship tournament game between St. Edward’s and St. Mary’s at the University of North Texas’ Super Pit.
“This is just one of the many community-oriented activities that the Heartland Conference and our member schools conduct every year,” said Stigliano. “These are great experiences for our student-athletes and the local communities.”
Community engagement activities are key to providing a comprehensive educational experience for students and strengthening the link between Division II athletics programs and their local communities.
The balance and integration of these different areas of learning opportunity provide Division
II student-athletes, like those in the Heartland Conference, with a path to graduation while cultivating a variety of skills and knowledge for life ahead.
The Heartland Conference and Division II are committed to developing students and communities by actively engaging in shared experiences. Through community engagement, the organizations can direct the energy and spirit of winning student-athletes to positively change society—as they change themselves.
- Patriots Basketball Team Volunteers at NT Food Bank -
After traveling to Jefferson City, MO and Laredo, TX in the same week for a pair of road wins, the Dallas Baptist University basketball team took a break from their game preparation to lend a helping hand with the North Texas Food Bank on Saturday. The Patriots joined other community groups, including Dallas Cowboy’s Roy Williams, as they sorted and boxed donated food items at the area warehouse. Donated items from grocery stores and food drives were sorted and placed in categories for "trash boxes," "snack boxes," "mixed boxes" (to feed a family for 6 days), or "drink boxes." After the boxes were filled and repackaged they will be distributed to individual families in need or after school programs in the North Texas area. The North Texas Food Bank was founded in 1982 and passionately pursues a hunger-free community. Last year alone, 32 million pounds of food were distributed from the warehouse site. For every dollar donated to the NTFB, they are able to provide five meals to families in need and thanks to the volunteer efforts of many community groups, 97 cents of every dollar is able to go directly toward feeding hungry families. Imagine… A World Without Hunger www.ntfb.org.
-Newman Volleyball Team-
The '07 volleyball squad took time out before their last road trip to visit young patients on Halloween at St. Francis Hospital. Goodies were handed out to those who were well enough to have visitors, and more were left to give to the children at a later time.
Included in the visit were seniors Katie Valliere, Gina Albert, and Sarah George; juniors Renee Breckenridge and LaShaunda Crocker; sophomores Breann Rozell, Amy Shorette, Caroline Painter and Brie Witsman; and freshmen Chelsey Potter, Amy Steven, and Ashley Myers. Also attending were coaches Mo Rohleder and Holly Yamada.
This is one of many community engagements that Newman University Athletics will undertake this school year.
-UIW Student-Athletes Particpate in Angel Tree -
For a Christmas community service project, UIW SAAC had our teams participate in an Angel Tree. The picture is of some UIW student-athletes and the Christmas gifts they purchased. Pictured: (Back row L to R) Stephanie Tomasik, Emily Kopecki, Leah Bravo, Jenny Whitt. (Front Row L to R) Catelyn Vasquez, Lauren McCreless, Carla Flink, Erin Whitt.
-Lincoln Athletics Reaches out with Habitat for Humanity-
On November 3rd the Lincoln University SAAC along with 25 Lincoln University student-athletes joined forces to help out at two Habitat for Humanity sites located in Jefferson City. Names of individuals in pictures can be seen on the Lincoln University Athletic Website.
-Patriot Athletics Take Part in Operation Christmas Child-
The DBU Patriot Athletic Department had over 100 student-athletes and representatives from all 14 intercollegiate sports show up on Wednesday, November 14, 2007, to take part in their annual wrapping party for Operation Christmas Child, sponsored by the Diamond Belles, Cheerleaders and the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Operation Christmas Child program of Samaritan's Purse, which provides an opportunity for people of all ages to be involved in a simple, hands—on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas—Jesus Christ. Each individual participating is responsible for bringing a shoebox filled with all kinds of products for children of all ages.
The Patriots, who held the wrapping party on the campus of Dallas Baptist University, was able to collect over 150 boxes, which all included products such as toothpaste, toys, pens, pencils, calculators, toothbrush, comb, washcloth, candy, T-shirts, socks, watches, and personal notes from the individual sending the package.
DBU Director of Athletics said, "It was a great experience seeing our student-athletes turn out the way they did for these children who need our help. I know that the work they did on Wednesday night will make a difference in the lives of these young children. I am so thankful that we have student-athletes here at DBU who are willing to sacrifice their free time to help out individuals in need."