PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the Fiesta Bowl announced on Thursday (July 19) that Providence College Athletics was one of two runners-up for the 2018 Community Service Award.
Providence College and Towson University were named the two runners-up for the award which was won by the University of Southern California. As a runner-up, Providence College will be awarded a trophy and $5,000 to donate to charities determined by the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC). SAAC has chosen to donate $2,500 to Special Olympics Rhode Island and $2,500 to NAMI Rhode Island (National Alliance on Mental Illness). The award was designed to recognize NACDA member institutions in Division I, honoring exceptional athletics departments that make volunteerism and community service a way of life.
In 2017-18, 332 student-athletes represented Providence College in the community, putting in a total of 2,060 community service hours. In all, they raised $28,880 for various charitable organizations during the academic year. Specifically, the swimming and diving program raised more than $22,000 for Swim Across America to benefit cancer research.
In addition to countless other community service activities throughout the year, many of the teams also assisted with Rhode Island Special Olympics events. PC's participation in the Walking School Bus program is another integral piece of the Friars' community service efforts. The Walking School Bus is run by the Family Service of Rhode Island, working to promote health, safety and decrease chronic absenteeism for students who might otherwise not have transportation to school. The Providence student-athletes are there to make sure the students who are not provided buses arrive to school safely. The experience adds value not only to the surrounding areas and youth, but to the PC student-athletes themselves.
Another key community service effort led by SAAC was its involvement in the Adopt-A-Family Project with the DaVinci Center. Providence College and the DaVinci Center teamed up to provide Christmas gifts to 125 local children. All 19 of the College's athletic teams participated in this initiative.