Mustang student-athletes log 2,340 community service hours

DALLAS (SMU) - SMU student-athletes logged 2,340 community service hours in the 2013-2014 academic year, exceeding the equivalent of an entire year's worth of work. Calculating a work week.

"Part of our mission in athletics is to `engage the community in meaningful ways,'" said SMU Director of Athletics Rick Hart. "Community Service plays a big role in that. We want to give back to the community that supports us and to make sure our student-athletes experience and learn the value of service. I'm very proud of the efforts of our student-athletes."

Community Service is a pillar of SMU's Life Skills program. This focus on facilitating community outreach opportunities for student-athletes gives SMU student-athletes a chance to make a difference and show their gratitude to the DFW communities that support them throughout their career.

"Community service is an essential part of our student-athlete Life Skills programing," said Allison Singleton, SMU's Director of Life Skills. "We strive to establish a commitment of service to others as a foundation for a balanced lifestyle. Our student-athletes are challenged to provide service to our community and individuals who are in need. With a clearly defined program of service, student-athletes are given the opportunity to develop a lifelong commitment to volunteerism."

"Community service gives me an opportunity to invest my time in the DFW community which has provided me so much over my career at SMU," said women's basketball student-athlete Raven Short. "It has inspired me to continue my career after college with a non-profit organization and continue my life commitment to being a servant-leader."

Among the many groups for which SMU SAs volunteered were: DISD Elementary Schools, SAAC's Fall Festival, Dallas Children's Medical Center Visit & Toy Donation, Numerous Sports Clinics (Girls Inc., Soccer, Track & Field, National Girls and Women in Sports Day, FCS Football Championship Youth Clinic, NCAA Final Four Youth Clinic), National Night Out Against Crime, Tour Des Fleurs Water Stations, Warrior Open - George W. Bush Foundation, First Tee, MLK Parade, Customized Learning Center, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Genesis Women's Shelter, For The Love of the Lake, Samaritans' Feet, North Texas Food Bank, and the Special Olympics.

For more information on the program or to connect with SMU's Life Skills Department, contact Allison Singleton at 214-768-4622 or singleton@smu.edu.

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