BEREA, OHIO -- Members of the Baldwin-Wallace College men's basketball team took some time on Tuesday, January 6 to visit with the children at Riveredge Elementary School in Berea. The Yellow Jacket men interacted with kindergarten and first-graders and took part in reading and learning activities.
Tuesday served as a great opportunity for the Yellow Jackets to give back to the community during the final week of their winter break.
"It's great when you are able to volunteer and give back to the community," said senior Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference guard Dennis Santiago. "Everyone on the team had a good feeling and felt that they had made an impact and inspired some of these kids just by reading a book."
The trip was especially enjoyable for Santiago, who was a student at Riveredge during his elementary school years. "We all remember being young and having visitors come to class. It was fun to be that visitor and provide the kids with something different and exciting," noted the native of Brookpark, Ohio.
"Anytime we can expose our young people [B-W student-athletes] to serving the community, it is a benefit for both sides," said B-W Head Coach Duane Sheldon. "An experience like this really puts things in perspective. It is a very important part of the college experience."
The B-W basketball team already has plans to continue with its service next month.
On Saturday, February 21, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium at the Lou Higgins Recreation Center in Berea, BW and the NCAA present "Take A Kid to the Game"Day when the Yellow Jackets host Marietta College.
The first 500 area grade, middle and junior-high school students who register on-line are invited to attend this special event and receive a free game ticket with the purchase of a full-priced adult ticket (up to one additional adult ticket also is free with the purchase). On-line registration is available at www.bw.edu/athletics/takeakid09.
FOR MORE B-W SPORTS 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 email at kruple@bw.edu. To contact Head Coach Duane Sheldon, please call 440-826-2115 or email at dsheldon@bw.edu.
