NEW YORK – For the second year in a row, the BIG EAST Conference has announced a day of service on Wednesday, March 9 to help tip-off the Conference’s 2016 men’s basketball tournament. ”BIG EAST SERVES Day” celebrates the Conference’s commitment to service and its partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
The dedication to service is a core value of BIG EAST member schools, each of which encourages a wide range of community outreach activities throughout the academic year. On Wednesday, March 9 – the first day of tournament play – the Conference will coordinate a collaborative service effort among the schools, supporting projects in New York City, including service at four New York City-based affiliates of Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Launched in December 2014, “BIG EAST SERVES” is a community platform that aligns the activities of the Conference with the academic and service missions of its schools and encourages student-athletes, faculty, administrators and supporters to make a positive difference in their communities.
To mark “BIG EAST SERVES Day” in New York City, home of the BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Tournament, conference staff, students, student-athletes, and partners will visit four Boys & Girls Clubs in various parts of New York City: PS188, South Queens, Tompkins Square, and the School of the Future. Volunteers will read to children, assist with homework, and facilitate a question and answer session, allowing youths to ask questions to the students and student-athletes. The Conference will provide tickets for Club members to attend one of the tournament games at MSG, an experience of a lifetime for many kids.
“BIG EAST member schools have long valued the commitment to service, and we are proud to incorporate BIG EAST SERVES day into our tournament week programming,” said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman. “We are happy to partner with The Boys & Girls Clubs of America again this year, an organization that shares a similar set of values. We hope the creation of an annual, dedicated day of service will inspire everyone associated with our league to give back to their communities in whatever way they choose.”
“BIG EAST SERVES Day” complements a series of events the Conference is hosting this year in conjunction with its 2016 Men’s Basketball Tournament Presented by the Jeep Brand, including the third annual Basketball Roundtable panel discussion with sports industry leaders, and an inaugural Sports and Entertainment Career Networking Event during Thursday night’s quarterfinal game at MSG for students from all ten member institutions.
Similarly, at the 2016 BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Tournament, which was held March 5-8 at McGrath-Phillips Arena on the campus of DePaul University, the conference and its member institutions connected with the Boys and Girls Club of America in Chicago to bring more than 100 area youths from Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago to the semifinals. The Georgetown women’s basketball team volunteered on Friday before the tournament at the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs-Barret Club, participating in a question and answer session and spending time with young girls on the basketball court.
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About the BIG EAST
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of ten nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments. The athletic programs of BIG EAST institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,000 student-athletes on over 180 men’s and women’s teams in 22 sports. Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST’s members are located in seven of the country’s top 35 largest media markets and include Butler University, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University. For more information, visit
www.bigeast.com.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,100 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at http://www.bgca.org/facebook and http://bgca.org/twitter.