BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College football team will complete a pair of community service projects when its Yellow Jacket student-athletes report to campus on Wednesday, August 11. A presentation to two local groups will take place on the west lawn of the Strosacker College Union (120 E. Grand Street in Berea) on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.
Ninth-year Head Coach John Snell makes community service one of the cornerstones of his program and its commitment to excellence. This year, Snell's Yellow Jackets will benefit local cancer patients at the Cleveland Clinic's Taussig Cancer Center and needy children who are part of Berea's Church Street Ministries.
The Yellow Jacket 'Tackle Cancer' program began two years ago and involved members of the football team selling t-shirts with the "B-W Football Tackle Cancer" logo placed on each shirt. The profit from the sales of the t-shirts benefits the Taussig Cancer Center. In 2008, a similar program benefited the Rainbow Quilters, a group from a retirement facility in Strongsville, Ohio that produces quilts for cancer patients at the Taussig Cancer Center.
In addition and on the first day of training camp for eight of the past nine seasons, Snell's Yellow Jacket football student-athletes come to camp with a box or bag of school supplies that are distributed to needy children in the local area. This fall, Snell has chosen Church Street Ministries of Berea to receive the supplies. Each fall, representatives of Church Street Ministries come to campus to enjoy the season-opening team picnic and then the captains of the football team present the group with the school supplies that have been collected. The contact person at Church Street Ministries is Ms. Frannie Millward (440-826-4603).
"We are committed to community service," said Snell. "We want our student-athletes to help others. We want them to realize sacrifice and how we can help others in the classroom, off the field and on the field. I think our student-athletes have grown to enjoy the programs and the interaction with others who may be less fortunate than themselves."
The Yellow Jacket football team also is involved in other community service projects during its season while also participating with Yellow Jacket Student-Athlete Services on additional projects that involve the entire student-athlete population at the College. Each year, the senior players each recognize a professor or staff member at the College who has made a difference in his collegiate experience at Professor Appreciation Day. This year's game is scheduled for October 23 versus Wilmington College.
Some other student-athlete projects include 'A Day of Service' where student-athletes rake leaves and clean trash for the elderly, reading programs at local elementary schools, participate in annual 'Take a Kid to the Game' days and play games and interact with the elderly at local retirement communities.
'Baldwin-Wallace College is committed to being a member of the community and having our student-athletes be active, caring and committed citizens,' said B-W President Richard W. Durst. "We are proud of the accomplishments of our athletic programs and the commitment of our student-athletes."
FOR MORE B-W Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Nick Minerd by phone at 440-826-2780 and e-mail at nminerd@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter athttp://twitter.com/bwathletics.
