Buffalo, NY - The Canisius College athletic department and its 16 varsity intercollegiate athletic programs have claimed the 2010-11 MAAC Pepsi Goodworks Challenge, the conference office recently announced. The Golden Griffins earned 4,705 points by taking part in a total of 93 events throughout the academic year.
The Goodworks Challenge program is a partnership between the MAAC and Pepsi in an effort to publicize volunteer work done in the community by student-athletes, coaches, athletic administration and faculty. Schools earn one point for every hour volunteered, and there is a bonus point initiative available when large numbers of volunteers from the same school work together on a project.
During the 2010-11 year, the Canisius athletic department racked up over 2,500 hours of service in Western New York. One of the largest partnerships was the local Meals on Wheels program, where student-athletes and coaches delivered meals to individuals in the area who are unable to purchase or prepare their own food. Canisius was able to help distribute a total of 800 meals. Members of the athletic department also volunteered their free time to work with Habitat for Humanity, Carly's Club Cancer Research Foundation, Hasek's Heroes, the South Buffalo Community Soup Kitchen, the Side Out Foundation, Beat Cancer With a Bat and numerous reading programs with local elementary schools.
In addition to working with various community programs, the Canisius athletic department, along with the College's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), raised $1,800 for the Western New York Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). For winning the MAAC Pepsi Goodworks Challenge, the College was awarded an additional $1,000, and the SAAC made a $2,800 donation to the local JDRF chapter. A special presentation was made to the JDRF at the College's annual Student-Athlete Awards Gala, held May 3, in the Montante Cultural Center.
Canisius finished the MAAC Pepsi Goodworks Challenge with more than 533.5 points than second-place Rider University. Canisius' 93 total events for the year was 55 more than the next closest school, as both Marist and Niagara registered a total of 38 events during the year.