SSAC News
Fri, Apr 30, 2004 - [Women's Basketball]
MONTGOMERY – The day Steve Crotz stepped onto the Auburn University
Montgomery campus, the outlook on community outreach services changed
in the eyes of the women’s basketball program.
Crotz has initiated several programs since his arrival at AUM, including daily visits to Angels for the Elderly – a program in which the team assists residents for a few hours at a local retirement home. The team has also volunteered their time in the Department of Transportation’s Adopt-A-Mile program in which they pick a mile of road to clean up (teamed with other athletic teams). The Lady Senators also volunteer their time as serves as hostesses with the Ingram and Durr Lecture series on campus, and as peer leaders for AUMFest.Throw all of those volunteer hours on top of the holiday season volunteer work that the Lady Senators do and one wonders when they have time to play basketball. The Lady Senators spend Valentine’s Day at the Veterans Hospital at “Salute a Veteran”, and Thanksgiving Day serving food at the local Salvation Army.
“It is my firm belief that the last thing we want for our players is for them to leave this campus as only basketball players,” said Crotz, in his eighth season as the head basketball coach. “We want to also help them build a foundation as a person and give them an edge for the future.”
This past year, with the urging of AUM English Professor Nancy Anderson, the Lady Senators took another community outreach program known as “Reading Makes A Lifelong Difference Day.” Along with the assistance of the men’s basketball team, the Lady Senators traveled to two local housing authorities to assist in a reading program for underprivileged children.
The program started out as an annual project to put new books in the hands of children in low-income housing developments. It since has grown to a weekly project of intense reading and writing instruction.
For 36 weeks, high school and college volunteers offered intensive reading and writing instruction at two public housing complexes, an outgrowth of book giveaways from the past six Make A Difference Days. On October 25, 115 volunteers (including AUM basketball teams) flocked to read and give 300 new books to households whose income is less than $6700.
“It was almost like we were giving them money or gold,” commented PRCA member Stacy Little, a participant in the program.
Following that day, the Lady Senators and Senators basketball teams decided to have a fundraiser to help make a difference in the children’s lives. The two teams decided to have a “Dunkin’ for Books” night at the February 12th home game – with every fan bringing a new children’s book to the game gaining free admission. Fans decided to chip on and bring 74 new books to the game, all of which went to the children at Riverside Heights and Paterson Court Community Centers.
After participating in the program herself, Lindsay Dunton felt that the program was more than about reading. Dunton persuaded her teammates to skip a tradition of exchanging Christmas gifts so they could provide even more books. They bought 34 books as team – and along with the 74 books raised at the game – donated their books to the children.
Dunton also keeps a picture of a child who made a lasting impression on her at the center in her dorm room to remind her of how fortunate her life is. “I kept that picture to remind me how grateful we should be to have the lives we have,” said Dunton in a USA Weekend article. “It opened my eyes and my heart.”
According to Dr. Bill Elder, the athletic director at Auburn University Montgomery, the athletic department appreciated the opportunity to be involved in such an outreach program as “Make A Difference Day.”
“We appreciate the opportunity that Nancy Anderson has given us to participate in this community outreach program,” said Elder. “One of the goals of our athletic department is for our coaches and athletes to be involved in activities in the community, not only while they are here but after they leave.”
After the initiation of the program and the involvement of the men’s and women’s basketball teams, Elder has asked that the whole athletic department be involved next year in the program and help with much more success.
“We want to expand on the men’s and women’s basketball teams involvement in Make A Difference Day, by getting all of our athletic teams involved in next year’s program,” said Elder. “One of my goals for the department to become even more involved in community services, not only while they are here at AUM but after they graduate and get into the work force.”
Prior to the beginning of the year, Anderson learned that the funding for the program had been lost due to budget costs. But thanks to the efforts of the PRCA, a pair of local high schools, and the Auburn University Montgomery basketball teams – the program received a $10,000 grant from the Paul Newman Foundation that will keep the program going for the kids at the centers. The program was also featured in USA Weekend, which is distributed in over 50 million homes – while the cover was distributed in over eight states featuring players from the Auburn University Montgomery men’s and women’s basketball teams.
For Anderson, the program was a great success and one she looks forward to doing everyday.
“We found this fertile field where we were needed, and it’s grown from there,” said Anderson, the Actions Build Community director. “These children don’t have books at home.”
Crotz has initiated several programs since his arrival at AUM, including daily visits to Angels for the Elderly – a program in which the team assists residents for a few hours at a local retirement home. The team has also volunteered their time in the Department of Transportation’s Adopt-A-Mile program in which they pick a mile of road to clean up (teamed with other athletic teams). The Lady Senators also volunteer their time as serves as hostesses with the Ingram and Durr Lecture series on campus, and as peer leaders for AUMFest.Throw all of those volunteer hours on top of the holiday season volunteer work that the Lady Senators do and one wonders when they have time to play basketball. The Lady Senators spend Valentine’s Day at the Veterans Hospital at “Salute a Veteran”, and Thanksgiving Day serving food at the local Salvation Army.
“It is my firm belief that the last thing we want for our players is for them to leave this campus as only basketball players,” said Crotz, in his eighth season as the head basketball coach. “We want to also help them build a foundation as a person and give them an edge for the future.”
This past year, with the urging of AUM English Professor Nancy Anderson, the Lady Senators took another community outreach program known as “Reading Makes A Lifelong Difference Day.” Along with the assistance of the men’s basketball team, the Lady Senators traveled to two local housing authorities to assist in a reading program for underprivileged children.
The program started out as an annual project to put new books in the hands of children in low-income housing developments. It since has grown to a weekly project of intense reading and writing instruction.
For 36 weeks, high school and college volunteers offered intensive reading and writing instruction at two public housing complexes, an outgrowth of book giveaways from the past six Make A Difference Days. On October 25, 115 volunteers (including AUM basketball teams) flocked to read and give 300 new books to households whose income is less than $6700.
“It was almost like we were giving them money or gold,” commented PRCA member Stacy Little, a participant in the program.
Following that day, the Lady Senators and Senators basketball teams decided to have a fundraiser to help make a difference in the children’s lives. The two teams decided to have a “Dunkin’ for Books” night at the February 12th home game – with every fan bringing a new children’s book to the game gaining free admission. Fans decided to chip on and bring 74 new books to the game, all of which went to the children at Riverside Heights and Paterson Court Community Centers.
After participating in the program herself, Lindsay Dunton felt that the program was more than about reading. Dunton persuaded her teammates to skip a tradition of exchanging Christmas gifts so they could provide even more books. They bought 34 books as team – and along with the 74 books raised at the game – donated their books to the children.
Dunton also keeps a picture of a child who made a lasting impression on her at the center in her dorm room to remind her of how fortunate her life is. “I kept that picture to remind me how grateful we should be to have the lives we have,” said Dunton in a USA Weekend article. “It opened my eyes and my heart.”
According to Dr. Bill Elder, the athletic director at Auburn University Montgomery, the athletic department appreciated the opportunity to be involved in such an outreach program as “Make A Difference Day.”
“We appreciate the opportunity that Nancy Anderson has given us to participate in this community outreach program,” said Elder. “One of the goals of our athletic department is for our coaches and athletes to be involved in activities in the community, not only while they are here but after they leave.”
After the initiation of the program and the involvement of the men’s and women’s basketball teams, Elder has asked that the whole athletic department be involved next year in the program and help with much more success.
“We want to expand on the men’s and women’s basketball teams involvement in Make A Difference Day, by getting all of our athletic teams involved in next year’s program,” said Elder. “One of my goals for the department to become even more involved in community services, not only while they are here at AUM but after they graduate and get into the work force.”
Prior to the beginning of the year, Anderson learned that the funding for the program had been lost due to budget costs. But thanks to the efforts of the PRCA, a pair of local high schools, and the Auburn University Montgomery basketball teams – the program received a $10,000 grant from the Paul Newman Foundation that will keep the program going for the kids at the centers. The program was also featured in USA Weekend, which is distributed in over 50 million homes – while the cover was distributed in over eight states featuring players from the Auburn University Montgomery men’s and women’s basketball teams.
For Anderson, the program was a great success and one she looks forward to doing everyday.
“We found this fertile field where we were needed, and it’s grown from there,” said Anderson, the Actions Build Community director. “These children don’t have books at home.”
