Saint Francis (PA) Women's Basketball Reaches Out to Local Community
7/21/2012
Loretto, PA -- The summer has been a busy one for the members of the Saint Francis women's basketball team. In addition to preparing for the upcoming season, the Red Flash have been hard at work in the local community hosting a free clinic and lending a helping hand to various charitable organizations.
“Being a part of the community is an important part of being apart of this program,” head coach Joe Haigh said. “We want our players to know that giving back is not just part of Division I athletics but also an important part of life.”
Director of basketball operations Allison Daly set up a free clinic at the East Hills Recreation Center in Johnstown on Father's Day, where the coaching staff and various members of the team ran skill stations for youth players in the Central Pennsylvania area.
The teams volunteer efforts continued on June 23 when the student-athletes spent their day volunteering at the Altoona Habitat for Humanity project. The Flash's main task during the day was to paint different areas of the house.
“It's always nice to get out and give back to the community,” said senior Kelley Doogan (Claymont, Del./Ursuline Academy). “Not only was Habitat for Humanity a lot of fun, it also felt great knowing that we had a hand in contributing to someone's new home.”
While the team worked hard in Altoona, senior Rhonda Watts (Alabaster, Ala./Thompson) spent the day at the Star Equestrians Center in Strongstown, an equestrian program that assists children and adults with an array of illnesses.
“The people involved in this program have such a great outlook on life and an amazing prospective on things,” said Watts. “Getting the opportunity to share these experiences with them was truly rewarding.”