Richardson, Texas-For the sixth consecutive year, the Ozarks? Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will join all 16 American Southwest Conference member institutions for “Make a Change in 14 Days,” a service project collecting loose coins to raise funds for local charitable organizations.
Arrangements are in place to collect change at ASC campuses over the 14-day period of January 23 through February 5 – coinciding with the turn of the ASC’s divisional basketball schedule. Ozarks will use coins to support Forrester-Davis Development Center in Clarksville.
The conference-wide project is also designed as a friendly challenge among the ASC campuses. Along with the top three-earning member SAACs being honored by the conference, institutions will be going head-to-head against their basketball travel partners:
Louisiana College vs. Mississippi College
Centenary vs. East Texas Baptist
LeTourneau vs. Texas-Tyler
Concordia Texas vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor
Schreiner vs. Texas Lutheran
Howard Payne vs. Sul Ross State
Hardin-Simmons vs. McMurry
Ozarks vs. Texas-Dallas
Last year, the conference SAAC groups combined to raise a record $11,938.57 for charity. In five years, nearly $40,000 has been raised to benefit 50 different organizations. In each of the last four campaigns, the SAAC groups have topped the $8,000 mark.
“We take great pride in knowing that as student-athletes, we do not exist to solely represent and support our school, but it’s for the community and beyond that we involve ourselves to make a change,” said Hardin-Simmons SAAC President Rebecca Roth, a senior All-American soccer player.
Schreiner was the top-collecting ASC institution for the first time in 2011, raising $2,805 for the Kerrville YMCA so that children in its local community could have the opportunity to be involved in sports and use state-of-the-art equipment. McMurry won the inaugural “Make a Change in 14 Days” title in 2007 (donated to Children’s Miracle Network), followed by three straight crowns by Louisiana College (St. Frances Cabrini Cancer Center for breast cancer research).
“It has been wonderful to see the commitment and passion showed by our student-athletes, athletic departments and fans since Make a Change in 14 Days started in 2007,” said ASC Assistant Commissioner and SAAC Co-Advisor Greg Weghorst. “As a conference office, this is a project we look forward to every year and hope it continues for many years to come.”
Keep up with the status of “Make a Change in 14 Days” on the conference’s official website (ASCsports.org), Twitter Feed (@ASC_sports) and Facebook Page. Specific details for each institution can be found on their athletics website.
Topics: Athletics