Lebanon High School in Cincinnati, Ohio collected 24,000 POUNDS food for the 2009 Basketball Service Week! This project was started four years ago when the food pantries were down in items. When the OHSAA Foundation introduced the Foundation Basketball games, they decided to use it as a way to help raise awareness for all of the food pantries in Warren County. With the help from their game opponent, Franklin, they gained support in their efforts from local businesses, as well as major businesses such as Kroger and Wal-Mart. They have even been contacted from schools around the nation wanting information about how to put on such a successful food drive. Congratulations to Lebanon High School for receiving “Most Impactful Project” for the 2009 Service Week!
“The event brings to everyone’s attention the need to serve your community, our students really step it up at all of our schools even at the elementary levels. When the leaders of the food pantries come to collect the food that we have for them, the look they have of amazement just puts it all into perspective, as a whole, two school districts and the communities they reside in have made a difference for others and that is what it is all about”- Joe Roberts, Lebanon High School Athletic Director
The Lakota West Girls Basketball team was the winner of the 2009 OHSAA Basketball Foundation Game Service Week Project! They teamed up with Lakota West Student Gov’t to have the highest percentage of volunteers and greatest impact on the community during the 2 week period. As a result they were awarded an opportunity to attend a Cavs game and have a meet-and-greet with Shaq! Great job Lakota West for your outstanding community service!
UGIVE recognized the Mt. Gilead Basketball Program for their outstanding service project for the 2009 Basketball Service Week this past Saturday. The community came to thank the Girls and Boys teams for making such a huge impact in the community, and we had the special treat of meeting Mrs. Cover, whose house the teams fixed up! Great job Mt. Gilead!!!
The Lakota West Girls’ Basketball team from Cincinnati, Ohio is the winner of the 2009 OHSAA/UGIVE Basketball Service Week. The girls and their coaches will be recognized at the Cleveland Cavaliers’ game this Sunday, January 31 and have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet with NBA all-star, Shaquille O’Neal because of their outstanding service.
Service Week took place from Nov. 19 through Dec. 5, 2009, and Lakota West was the team to get the highest percentage of students to volunteer during the two week period. In addition for participating in Service Week, the team also got to play in a Foundation Game against the opponent of their choice.
The girls’ service project was one that was very close to their hearts. They teamed up with Reach Out Lakota’s “Adopt a Child” Christmas program and bought gifts for 96 local children in need during the holiday season. Wanting to make the project even better, each girl volunteered to donate an additional $5 to the cause and spent a Saturday afternoon shopping at Target for gifts for children ages four to 18.
A second element of their service project was part of a two-year program called “Kids Who Care.” This project was created to support the memory and scholarship fund of Kristin Renneker. Kristen was a student athlete who was very involved in charitable work through her youth group, but was tragically killed in an automobile accident in 1992. The Scholarship Award was established to help female athletes graduating from Lakota Schools.
The team decided to use their Foundation Game to serve as a charity game to raise money for the fund. In addition, the team and the Student Government asked that all attending the game bring at least one winter clothing item to be donated to Reach Out Lakota for a Winter Clothing Drive.
“When the OHSAA made the Foundation Games available, we immediately thought Kristin’s spirit and scholarship were a perfect fit. We need to maintain Lakota’s fund traditions of the past, remind the community of the goodness that lived in Kristin’s heart, and how the Lakota Athletic Boosters and the Renneker’s turned her tragic death into yearly blessings for future Lakota female athletes,” said Andy Fishman, the Girls Varsity Head Coach.
UGIVE is very happy to recognize the Lakota West Girls’ Basketball team for their outstanding work in the community. Their commitment and dedication to helping those in need and honoring a wonderful tradition makes them very deserving of our exciting prize.
Students in the Toledo, OH area made this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day particularly special this year. They took the theme, “Make it a day on, not a day off,” to heart. Youth within the area participated in several service projects really brought the community together. Some of the projects they worked on were:
v Painting at Sunshine, Inc.
v Sorting and Organizing clothes for Cherry Street Mission’s ‘Clothe Your Community’ clothing drive
v Cleaning and serving meals to the residents of Cherry Street Mission’s shelter
v Sorting food items and putting together food bags for a local food bank, Food for Thought
v Playing games and engaging in a variety of activities with the residents (mostly children) of Josina Lott
v Serving lunch during the Martin Luther King Community Wide Unity Celebration and Luncheon at the University of Toledo
In addition, 4th and 5th graders from local schools were able to show their creative sides by producing art in honor of Dr. King that will be on display at the Unity Celebration.
The United Way Volunteer Center was also blessed with a grant from Points of Light/HandsOn Network to engage Lucas County youth in an items drive for those in need. In order to receive the grant, students did research on local community issues and identified particular needs that they wanted to address within their neighborhoods. They reached out to local businesses and community members for donations and helped the United Way Volunteer Center host a community-wide collection. They collected item such as: eyeglasses for those in need; jeans for wear and to be turned into insulation for houses; canned food for a local church, shelter and families; books for a school and for a local adult literacy program; and socks for the homeless.
UGIVE would like to recognize these Toledo students for such wonderful work! It takes a lot for people to spend their time giving back to the community while others are taking the day off. Your kindness has inspired us, and the impact on your community will live on in the hearts of your neighborhoods forever!
UGIVE students did a wonderful service on MLK Day by helping the Cincinnati Zoo take down the thousands of lights they had set up for their annual Festival of Lights. These students woke up bright and early on a day they had off of school to help out their community. MLK Day has become a Day of Service throughout the nation, and we would like to thank all of those who gave their time and energy to such great causes such as this!
“Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve…. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
MLK Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day has become a day of service for our nation. We have been called to give our time to improve the lives of others who need our help. With the recent tragedy in Haiti, and the many problems in our own neighborhoods, it is time for you to step up and make a difference!
UGIVE has many opportunities for you to volunteer this holiday weekend. Matthew 25: Ministries is playing a special role in the disaster relief for Haiti. They are asking volunteers to come and help package all of the goods that will be shipped to help victims and the relief teams. They are also asking that you help collect products such as non-perishable food, personal care and cleaning supplies and bring them to the warehouse. You can check out more information and sign up at http://ugive.org/Opportunities/Detail.aspx?projectid=5641.
The American Red Cross has created an event on MLK Day to distribute winter safety information and hot chocolate on Fountain Square during the MLK march. This is a great way to give back and unite together with your community. Sign up at http://ugive.org/Opportunities/Detail.aspx?projectid=5561.
Lebanon High School also has a very exciting opportunity on MLK Day assisting team leaders who are collecting donations of food, clothing, personal hygiene products and books for homeless families and children. They need lots of hands to help package and load, so check it out at http://ugive.org/Opportunities/Detail.aspx?projectid=5096.
In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s fight for peace, Gateway Community and Technical College is holding and evening where families and community members can share in creative and literacy activities. This will take place on January 21 from 5:30-7:30. For more details and to sign up go to http://ugive.org/Opportunities/Detail.aspx?projectid=5626.
Each of these opportunities, as well as others on UGIVE.org, is a wonderful way for you to give your time for those in need. This is an especially difficult time for many people, so give back to those less fortunate than you on this holiday weekend!
UGIVE has the holiday spirit!! We have TONS of opporunities for students to volunteer- tis’ the season for giving! Just a few ideas in case you’re looking for something to do over your winter break-
Family Fun Fridays with the SPCA-Help us make Friday nights fun for the family again. Beginning Dec. 11th, we will have a planned activity every Friday nighit. We will need help getting set up, making the events fun for the kids, and then a little clean up. Bring your friends and family to help! www.ugive.org/Opportunities/Detail.aspx?projectid=5256
Reindog parade with the SPCA- Merry mutts of all shapes and sizes are invited to show off their holiday best at the Mt. Adams Reindog Parade! We need help setting up for the parade, guiding the crowd, helping with registration, participating in the parade and clean up. Come join the fun! www.ugive.org/Opportunities/Detail.aspx?projectid=4887
St. Joseph Orphanage- Christmas Chuckers and Wrappers- St. Joseph Orphanage needs help organizing and wrapping presents for the children, and also making handmade gift tags from Santa! Come out and make this holiday season special for the children!
There are many more opportunities for you to give back! Just visit UGIVE.ORG and check out all the ways you can make this holiday brighter for someone else!
