BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College football team opened its preseason camp on Wednesday, August 12, 2009. The opening of camp also signaled the completion of John Snell's team's annual Community Service Project.  This year's beneficiary is the Berea organization of Church Street Ministries. 

Each summer, Yellow Jacket football student-athletes collect school supplies and other materials for children who cannot afford the items. Each young man brings with him to campus a shoe box filled with items a child could utilize in his or her education. In turn, the items are given to representatives from Church Street Ministries on the first day of preseason camp.  Then, Church Street distributes the items to children from surrounding school districts.

"Church Street Ministries is grateful for the very generous donation of more than 150 school supply boxes from Baldwin-Wallace football players," said Church Street Minster of Visitation Fran Apltauer. Each player also wrote a personal note encouraging a student to do their best in school. "These new school supplies will help ensure that children have the necessary tools to be successful upon returning to school this fall," noted Apltauer.

The donations were made by each player and their families at an afternoon picnic on the west lawn of the College's Strosacker Student Union.  Senior members of the Yellow Jacket team then loaded the boxes into the Church Street van.

 "I want our student-athletes to know that B-W football is about giving, not getting," said eighth-year head coach John Snell, a 1987 B-W graduate who carries a 46-26 career record into the 2009 season.  "That's why, every year, we start the season off by giving."

The football team officially started practice on Thursday, Aug. 13 and opens the 2009 season on Saturday, September 5 versus Heartland Athletic Conference powerhouse and 2008 NCAA Division III playoffs participant Franklin (Ind.) College at 1:30 p.m. on Tressel Field at The George Finnie Stadium in Berea.

FOR MORE B-W FOOTBALL INFORMATION, please contact B-W Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX machine at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Nick Minerd at 440-826-2780 or nminerd@bw.edu. To contact Head Coach John Snell, please call him at 440-826-2069 or e-mail him at jsnell@bw.edu.