NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Traditionally, the Albertus Magnus College athletic department participates in a department-wide community service effort, embracing the values of the school and the four pillars of the Dominican Tradition – study, prayer, community, and service. The Falcon student-athletes, coaches, and support staff rose to the call over this past academic year, with each of the athletic teams and the individual staff members participating in a unique and separate community service project. The athletic department amassed over 1,000 hours of community service, with a total of 1,050 hours, marking the ninth straight year that the department has surpassed the goal of 800 hours.
"Once again, the student-athletes, coaches, and staff of the Albertus Athletic Department exceeded this year's community service goal," said Interim Director of Athletic Nick Wajnowski. "These student-athletes work hard to hit their goal, but more importantly, they experienced the value of giving back to the community, which embraces the values of the school and the four pillars of the Dominican heritage."
Some of the Falcon teams that went above and beyond with their community service this year and completed more than 100 hours were men's ice hockey, women's swimming & diving, men's lacrosse, baseball, and softball. The men's ice hockey team was top in the department, completing 182 hours, followed by men's lacrosse and baseball with 155 and 132 hours, respectively.
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C.) was also active on campus as the student-athletes participated in Fresh Check Day and hosted two Unified Sports Tournaments in soccer and basketball. For the second year, S.A.A.C. paired up with the C.I.A.C./Special Olympics Unified Sports Program and hosted their second annual Unified Soccer and Basketball Tournaments. Members of all 15 Division III athletic programs assisted in the event, whether to set up and break down the event, referee the games on the field or court, teammates, or cheer from the sidelines. At Fresh Check Day, S.A.A.C. promoted the "Boost" table, which supports how exercise can help relieve stress, boost overall mood and self-confidence, and help lower the risk of some diseases.
This year, the athletic department also hosted two major community service events – the Founder's Day Falcon 5k and its Annual St. Albert Week Food Drive for Centro San Jose Family Center in New Haven, Conn. The on-campus 5k, in conjunction with Founder's Day Week, included over 80 participants, including student-athletes, that ran for the International Association of New Haven. This non-profit organization funds programs in the Greater New Haven Area, whose missions and programs help advance international understanding of other countries and cultures. During St. Albert Week, the Athletic Department teamed up with Dominican Mission & Ministry to help collect non-perishable food items for the Centro San Jose's Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Give-a-Way Event. As a result, the athletic teams collected over 300 food items such as stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, canned fruit, vegetables, etc.
