The Spirit Of The Season

Maryland Athletics, in partnership with Child Resource Connect (CRC), hosted its annual Adopt-A-Family event, which gives gifts to Prince George’s County families in need. 

CRC is a program that aims to help families and children in need in Prince George’s County through education, community service initiatives, child care, and other efforts. 

In partnership with CRC, student-athletes were able to answer the Christmas wishlists of 10 Prince George’s County families and by raising money to purchase gifts. Representatives from the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC)  heavily pushed the mission to their peers, coaches and administrators, urging them to participate in this annual giving opportunity.

“We have monthly SAAC meetings, so it was kind of just the big incentive of that SAAC meeting to push it out to your team to raise as much money as you can for the cause,” said Sammi Woods, a junior softball player who serves as a Director of Share the Shell and the SAAC Executive Board.

The SAAC representatives emphasized the cause's importance to their fellow student-athletes, leading to greater involvement than ever before.

“We were really trying to push them to let them know what the purpose is and that they’re actually really helping out,” said Tasha Brozowski, a senior on the gymnastics team who’s also a Director of Share the Shell and a SAAC Executive Board member. “These individuals may not be as fortunate enough to receive as many holiday gifts as we may be, and the fact that we’re able to help, it was really fulfilling to be part of that.”

Student-athletes raised an impressive $3,422 to provide gifts for the 10 deserving families and will make an impactful difference this holiday season.

After purchasing the presents, student-athletes gathered on December 2 for SAAC’s annual Wrapping Party. Working together, they wrapped all the gifts for the families in preparation for pick up.

“We had Chick-fil-A and ice cream, and everybody sat at a table, and each table represented a certain family,” Woods said. “And then we put on Christmas music, and we just wrapped all of the presents.”

Staff members also got involved by selecting ornaments from the Christmas tree in the XFINITY Administrative Suite, generously donating both their time and resources to shop for different members of the families in need.

Brozowski described why working with her peers to give back to the community is special to her. 

“One of my favorite parts is that everyone comes, and I’m able to kind of just talk to people because a lot of the time, we’re not in the same room,” Browzowski said, “The fact that we’re all in the same room having the same goal in mind to help these children and families is really heartwarming.”

To Brozowski, these events are especially important because they help her impact the College Park Community she calls home.

“I just feel kind of fulfilled when I’m able to help anyone in need,” Brozowski said. “And honestly, the fact that it’s the community right here around College Park is valuable because this has been my home the past three, four years.”

After the wrapping party, representatives from CRC arrived to collect all the wrapped presents and prepare them for distribution to their designated families.

This year’s Adopt-A-Family event was an overwhelming success, leaving the event’s coordinators impressed by the incredible effort and dedication shown by the student-athletes and athletics staff.

“We are incredibly proud of the dedication our student-athletes showed in this initiative,” said Community Engagement Intern Danielle Dyer and Big Ten Fellow Lonnie Mulligan. “From raising a record amount in donations to one of our largest turnouts at the Wrapping Party, it was truly inspiring to see them be all hands on deck and work together to support those in need within our community. The collaborative effort between student-athletes and staff to support this initiative truly embodied the joy and spirit of the holiday season.”  

This initiative not only made a positive impact on our local community but also provided student-athletes and staff with the opportunity to build community, support a meaningful cause, and embrace the true spirit of the holidays.