Hackensack, NJ -- With local students off from school for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball program invited youngsters from the Hackensack site of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Lodi/Hackensack to come to campus on Monday for a day of fun and education.

"The relationship between our program and the Boys and Girls Club is very special," head men's basketball coach Greg Herenda said on Monday while watching the Fairleigh Dickinson women's basketball team defeat Mount St. Mary's.  "It was only a few years ago that our players were looking for someone to look up to and now, today, they were the role models for these local kids.  I think it was a great learning experience for everyone and particularly on this important holiday."

The activities began with the children arriving to watch the second half of the team's practice.  Once practice ended the kids were able to take their own turn running through defensive and shooting drills with the FDU student-athletes.

Following the fun on the court the FDU men's basketball team, coaches and staff took the visiting students to the Stratis Room of the Rothman Center for an academic session and meet-and-greet with members of the men's basketball team.

After a pizza party, the group moved back into the Stratis Arena to cheer on the women's basketball team, which defeated Mount St. Mary's, 78-56.

"I really can't tell you who had more fun the Boys and Girls Club kids or our players.  Both groups were awesome and I think the large cheering section helped our women's team get a great home victory," Herenda added.

Herenda has maintained a strong relationship with the Boys and Girls Clubs since his arrival at FDU.

"They love Coach G," Cori Santana, the BGC Hackensack Unit Director, said during the FDU women's game.  "The message that he sends is great.  I've been working with him for two years now - also at the Lodi site - and the way he interacts with the kids and makes sure they know it's not just about fun, it's about education and putting your studies first.  He instills it in a way that they remember."

Santana added, "It is even more important that it is a college and it is an athletic program because a lot of them do want to take that step.  It is actually very good for them to come here and see how they can relate to the players, relate to everyone and see that it's not so farfetched, that they can do it too."

More information on the Boys and Girls Clubs of Lodi/Hackensack can be found here.