WEEKLY SPOTLIGHT:  Bishops participate in several fall community service projects

Rocky Mount, NC - Part of being a successful student-athlete involves giving back to the College's surrounding community.  This past fall, our Battling Bishop teams embraced this concept by participating in and completing several community service projects in the area.  Whether distributing our annual September 11th season passes to local law enforcement or volunteering for the department's reading program at area elementary schools, all 12 Bishop squads found themselves involved in the effort in some way.

As always, the first community service project of the athletics season took place on September 11th.  For the fifth straight year, Bishop squads honored our fallen heroes from New York to Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C. by recognizing those local heroes that risk their lives daily to insure the safety of our Rocky Mount community.  Our athletes did so by distributing season passes to all Battling Bishop sporting events.  Pictured left are members of Wesleyan's volleyball, basketball, and softball teams.

Additionally, all 12 Bishop teams participated in the USA South's "Cans Across the Conference" holiday food drive.  This year, Bishop student-athletes collected over 500 cans for the cause, donating their items to the United Community Ministries Shelter in Rocky Mount.

Wesleyan is also proud to sponsor P.L.A.Y. (Promoting Literacy Among Youth), a program that sees our student-athletes travel to local elementary schools for one-on-one reading and tutoring time with students. Pictured right, football senior Justin Augustin volunteers at Braswell Elementary.

In addition to the campaigns above, several squads undertook individual projects that are proving to be a big hit with area youth.

Women's soccer coach Beverly Biancur is getting nothing but positive feedback after implementing her soccer "KIX" program this past November.  She and her players have already visited three local schools in the past month, taking time to teach the rules of soccer along with various games and skill activities.  Current players Megan Kintner and Sarah Hess are pictured left with some of their newest fans.

Biancur's players also helped out at October's free soccer clinic that was sponsored by both the men's and women's soccer teams.  The two squads combined to conduct the clinic on campus for area youth back in October.  Nearly 50 participants showed up at Scalf Field to receive instruction from Bishop coaches and players.  Similar to Biancur's KIX program, head coach Jason Kilby's squad also lectured and gave demonstrations at the Rocky Mount Prep School located behind campus.  Pictured right, sophomore Luke Oakley gets ready to kick off a drill.

Head coach John Thompson's men's basketball squad has also been busy.  In addition to participating in 9/11, Cans Across the Conference, and P.L.A.Y., the Bishops recently took time over the holiday break to mentor students at the aforementioned Prep School.  Wesleyan had previously helped conduct a clinic for the Eastern North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association earlier in the fall.  Pictured left, Bishop players teach students a new ball-handling drill.

Thompson's players, along with John Brackett's women's squad, also have plans to participate in the NCAA's "Think Pink" initiative.  This Breast Cancer Awareness program has already been celebrated by several of our players, as evidenced in the photo below.

Finally, our North Carolina Wesleyan baseball team managed to take on several projects this fall.  Head coach Charlie Long's Bishops volunteered as umpires, helped out weekly with area Little League teams, and served as aids at Benvenue Elementary's Fall Festival.  As in year's past, the Bishops will participate in Rocky Mount's Relay for Life campaign in the spring, as seen in the picture to the left.

With the many successes that our North Carolina Wesleyan squads have experienced on the field thusfar this season, it's nice to see that our student-athletes are experiencing many successes off the field as well.

Our coaching staff and student-athletes are deserving of much praise for their efforts.  Keep up the good work!
 

2006-07 SPOTLIGHT ARCHIVES

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