UM Football: Rushing into the Community
UPDATED on 4/30/12
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Over the past week, 27 different players participated in nine different community service events for a total of 68.5 hours. After 11 weeks of Rushing into the Community, the team has earned a total of 585.5 community service hours.
The Rushing into the Community program started during the spring semester and will continue through December 31st, 2012 as the team will look to collect more community service hours than rushing yards this upcoming season.
The UFootball blog will run photos from various service events throughout the spring. Visit the site to see your Canes giving back to the community.
April 23, 2012
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami football team has announced that it has surpassed its goal of 500 hours of community service over the spring semester. Entitled “Rushing into the Community,” the program strives to make each member of the football team recognize the value of community service and embody the characteristics of one that gives back, by empowering them to go into their community and give back. The players will also look to earn more community service hours than rushing yards in the 2012 season.
The Canes worked extensively with four organizations for the community service drive–Empowered Youth, The Miami Rescue Mission, The Ronald McDonald House and Be The Match.
With one week remaining, the Canes have served in the community 517 hours over 10 weeks. The players divided up into teams by their UTough workout group to add some competition to the service events. The entire team has participated in “Rushing into the Community” with offensive lineman Malcolm Bunche accruing the most points with 45. Quarterback Stephen Morris has participated every week this spring and has 40 points.
During their spring break, 19 members of Miami’s football team took time out to give back to the Miami area, taking part in events at the Miami Rescue Mission and at the Ronald McDonald House.
At the Miami Rescue Mission, a group of eight players including Anthony Chickillo, Akil Craig, Chris Dunckel, Maurice Hagens, Alex Irastorza, Davon Johnson, Shane McDermott and Morris served food to those at the mission. Chickillo was seen giving out extra popsicles, while Morris was very focused on serving the meals. Hagens could be heard singing while handing out food, and Craig and Irastorza made a formidable team, developing a very efficient system of serving drinks.
At the Ronald McDonald House, a group of 12 players including Erik Akre, Junior Alexis, Bunche, Preston Dewey, Garrett Kidd, Matt Goudis, Larry Hope, Sean McNally, Morris, Vaughn Telemaque, Jared Wheeler and Ryan Williams took part in a ice cream social with the families staying there. The players served ice cream and then sat with the families, brightening their days in the process.
The UFootball blog will run photos from various service events throughout the spring all week. Visit the site to see your Canes giving back to the community.
Information on the organizations that the Canes have worked with this semester.
Empowered Youth is an organization whose mission is to break the cycle of teens who are or have been in the Juvenile Detention Center by empowering them to create a lasting transformation and a positive life for both themselves and their communities. Members of the football team will provide mentoring there on Mondays and Wednesdays.
The Miami Rescue Mission works to transform the lives of homeless men, women, and children through comprehensive residential programs to effect lasting change and empower them to be productive members in society. Some of the canes will serve food to the residents there every other Friday.
The Ronald McDonald House holds programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children in South Florida. During the first Tuesday of every month, members of the football team will come to raise the children’s spirits.
Be The Match. is a movement that engages a growing community of people inspired to help patients who need a marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant from an unrelated donor. Volunteers can join the Be The Match Registry, the world’s largest and most diverse listing of potential marrow donors and donated cord blood units, as well as contribute financially to Be The Match Foundation or volunteer their time.
