(March 4, 2019) -- Hundreds of UTSA students, faculty, staff and Roadrunner supporters planted, painted and sorted supplies for the San Antonio community over the weekend as part of the UTSA Day of Service. UTSA organized the event as part of its 50th anniversary celebration to create an opportunity for Roadrunner Nation to give back to its community.
>> View a photo gallery from UTSA Day of Service.
The day began with the volunteers rallying together at the UTSA Main Campus for breakfast. Next, they spread out across the city, serving at nearly 20 San Antonio area service agencies. Volunteers participated in projects like building a children’s vegetable garden at Phil Hardberger Park, planting and painting at Plaza Guadalupe, sorting food at the San Antonio Food Bank and prepping for the San Antonio Mardi Gras Festival.
The UTSA Men’s Basketball Team was among the 150 UTSA coaches and athletes who lent a hand. They volunteered at The Chromosome 18 Registry and Research Society, a cause that is dear to the team’s heart. Associate head coach Mike Peck’s daughter lives with a rare chromosome 18 condition and has worked closely with the non-profit for 20 years. The players wrote thank you letters to the agency’s donors and helped it prepare for its upcoming Starfish 5K Run/Walk.
“It’s so important to give back to the community,” said Giovanni DeNicolao, a UTSA junior majoring in kinesiology and point guard on the team. “We have an opportunity to play what we love and not everybody has this opportunity, so it’s a great honor for us to help the people of San Antonio and especially here with our coach being so close to this organization.”
The participating agencies were grateful for UTSA’s time, efforts and support.
“We can’t begin to say how much the UTSA partnership means to us,” said Neale Parker, executive director of The Chromosome 18 Registry and Research Society. Parker asked UTSA President Taylor Eighmy to expand the service program, which he described as critical to nonprofits.
More than 200 Honors College students also participated in Day of Service, volunteering at six different projects throughout the city.
“Honors participates because it is an opportunity for our students to become more deeply woven into the fabric of San Antonio,” said Sean Kelly, dean of the UTSA Honors College.”They get a firsthand experience with the challenges facing our community and are inspired by the many individuals who are making a difference in the area.”
Inspired by Eighmy’s desire to integrate a service component into his Inauguration in 2017, the UTSA Day of Service emphasizes one of the university's longest standing traditions, for Roadrunner Nation to come together and give back to the San Antonio community.
To learn more about the UTSA Day of Service, contact UTSA Volunteer Services.
Nonprofits looking for support are encouraged to contact Lydia Bueno, assistant dean of students and director of the Student Leadership Center and Student Center for Community Engagement and Inclusion.
Celebrate UTSA’s 50th Anniversary and share social media posts about the 50th using the hashtag #UTSA50.
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