March 6, 2009

 

Courtesy of Mark Skiba, NIU Media Relations

DeKALB - Huskie student-athletes gave back to the DeKalb community on Friday, Feb. 27, as members of seven teams took part in events at the DeKalb County Nursing Home, Lincoln Elementary School, and Tyler Elementary School.

Over 50 members of the football team traveled to the nursing home for a night of Bingo and an ice cream social. Both the residents and student-athletes enjoyed eating ice cream, playing games, and socializing.

"It was a team effort," NIU center Eddie Adamski said. "A bunch of guys started contacting each other to help out with some Bingo and Wii, and it really turned into something great."

Adamski said the trip was its own reward, as residents of the DeKalb County Nursing Home lit up with the chance to hang out with the Huskies.

"They feel like a part of the community when we come visit," Adamski said. "It's amazing how when you walk in the door they just start smiling, and everyone gets out of their room for Wii bowling."

Kathy Vicors of the DeKalb County Nursing Home, who was in charge of hosting the event, said NIU players have been visiting the facility on a regular basis over the past few weeks as several players have stepped up to take leadership positions in organizing the visits.

Over 100 student-athletes from men's and women's soccer, women's golf, volleyball, men's basketball, and women's track and field teams traveled to the elementary schools to take part in the Fun Fairs. From running games and giving out prizes to collecting tickets and serving food, the athletes said they enjoyed the event, as they got to interact with kids in the community.

Women's soccer player Megan Bennett was especially impressed with the young students' pride in NIU.

"It's cool to see the kids running around in their NIU stuff, with their Huskie face paint, really getting involved," Bennett said. "Working with the kids is a breath of fresh air. A lot of the things we do in terms of volunteering is hands off, like collecting food, so it's great to get to interact with the community so directly."

Bennett also noticed the kid's rising interest in athletics, and noted the importance of being a good role model.

"A lot of times, they come up to us in line, and you can tell they are starting to get involved in athletics," she said. "It's cool to know they look up to us. They're interested to see what kind of people we are, so it's important for us to show that we care about things other than our sports."

On Friday, a total 155 student-athletes contributed over 465 total hours of community service.