Nichols College student-athletes have been embracing the giving spirit this holiday season, and are planning on continuing their actions well into the spring semester. With the addition of the newly-formed Bison Council, where student-athletes from every class join forces to make the community, both on-campus and abroad, a better place, Nichols College student-athletes have extended their successes off the courts and into the hands of those around them.
The Student Athlete Advisory Council collected stuffed animals over the last two weeks to donate to the Salvation Army. At the women’s basketball game against Westfield State alone, SAAC collected over 30 stuffed animals to donate, and will bring almost 80 in total to the Salvation Army in Milford this weekend.
“We didn’t expect so much generosity from the campus community, our fans and our parents,” said junior Ashley Robidoux of the women’s basketball team, one of the event’s organizers. “It feels really good to give back to the community, especially to kids at this time of year.”
The Bison Council’s freshman class collected nearly 300 cans of food that was distributed before Thanksgiving to the Webster-Dudley Food Share, and the sophomore class sponsored a winter coat and clothing drive that delivered three dozen coats and warm clothes to Abby’s House in Worcester this week. The drive is continuing over the winter break with further donations going to the Southbridge Interfaith Hospitality Network in January.
The football team visited the Shriners Hospital in Boston in early December. Although the team wasn’t able to visit with any children due to concerns over the flu, players talked with administrators and learned about orthopedic care and the Shriners’ mission to help children without cost.
Junior defensive lineman Jonathan Merjuste was amazed at the experience, remarking not only at the new medical technology they learned about, but also at the extensive wall display of donations made to the Shriners Hospitals that showed how much had been donated worldwide to help the Shriners provide free medical care for children.
“Even though there’s a lot of bad out there, there sure is a lot of good in the world,” he said.
The team is scheduled to make a return trip in the spring semester.
Nichols student athletes: giving their all during the game, in the classroom, and in the community.