Somerset, NJ – After winning the inaugural NEC Building Communities Award just a year ago, Sacred Heart once again has been honored for its charitable and community service efforts.
The award, conceived by the Northeast Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), recognizes the institution which demonstrates the highest dedication to making an impact in the community through the efforts of its student-athletes, coaches and administrators. Over the course of the 2011-12 academic year, Conference members logged over 26,000 hours of community service.
Sacred Heart itself donated 6,625 hours of community service, the majority of which took place through the "Dunbar School Initiative." The Dunbar School is a K-8 school located on the east side of Bridgeport, CT. The Sacred Heart SAAC takes part in the M.O.T.I.V.A.T.E. project at Dunbar, which stands for Meaningful Opportunities To Inspire Vision and Achieving Total Excellence. The mission is to provide opportunities to Dunbar students through mentoring that will enhance their sense of pride, responsibility and worth. The SAAC arranged for athletic vans to be available every morning, driven by students, with 10-15 student-athletes visiting Dunbar each day to help assist in the classroom.
"The NEC Building Communities Award is a wonderful validation and recognition of Sacred Heart's student-athletes commitment to the external community, particularly those in our local urban center of Bridgeport where people are not as blessed nor as fortunate as we are," said Don Cook, Sacred Heart Director of Athletics. "The award has given our student-athletes another reason to feel good about being caring, responsible members of the larger community in which they live. The work of our student-athletes supports and affirms the University mission to participate in the wider community through service to others, especially the poor. The SAAC sent student-athletes to the school Monday through Friday to assist with reading, math and 1:1 tutoring. Beyond academic support, the student-athletes were positive role models that affirmed academics and social responsibility. For our student-athletes, maybe the most important takeaway was the impact their influence has had in providing a social platform of caring for and about others. While the outcome of games offers its teachable moments, many student-athletes understand even better how community service offers richer, more meaningful opportunities for personal growth.”
Along with Sacred Heart's contributions to its local community, Central Connecticut finished the year with 5,222.5 hours of service, the second highest total in the Conference. Monmouth (3,739), Quinnipiac (2,926) and Saint Francis (PA) (2,860) all logged more than 2,000 hours during the 2011-12 academic year.
“I continue to be awed by the remarkable community service efforts of the Northeast Conference student-athletes, coaches and administrators,” stated Noreen Morris, NEC Commissioner. “Not only are we making a significant impact in our communities, but we are instilling in our student-athletes the importance of giving back to those less fortunate. Sacred Heart should be especially commended for its continued commitment to the Dunbar School, where it amassed many of the hours that led to a second consecutive Building Communities Award.“
About the Northeast Conference
Now in its 31st year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 12 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#23), Baltimore (#27), and Hartford/New Haven (#30). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 23 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic or play-in access to 14 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Central Connecticut State, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU Brooklyn, Monmouth, Mount St. Mary’s, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (NY), Saint Francis (PA) and Wagner. Bryant will become the NEC’s 12th member upon completion of the NCAA Division I reclassification process in 2012. For more information on the NEC, visit www.northeastconference.org.