UB Student-Athletes Participate in CareWears Day

Local businesses pair up with UB Athletics to make an impact on West Hertel Academy students

BUFFALO, NY - As part of their community outreach program, 12 UB student-athletes hope to raise the morale of several inner-city Buffalo children.

The morning of April 2, 2003, these UB representatives, along with UB staff members and mascot Victor E. Bull, will spend an hour in the classroom with 12 selected fourth-through-eighth graders from West Hertel Academy. Afterwards, all will be whisked away in a limousine to Aeropostale in the McKinley Mall for a $125 per child shopping spree. An afternoon of shopping will give way to a much-needed lunch at Garfield's restaurant.

Giving back to the community is in the UB student-athletes' nature. Women's soccer player Anna-Lesa Calvert (Dallas, TX/Bryan Adams) proposed an idea that was right up the student-athletes' alley. CareWears originated at her high school in Dallas, TX. Grade-school students, who would eventually be attending the high school, expressed a need for newer clothes through embarrassment of their torn pants, shorts, and shirts.

The local high school students and staff members took it upon themselves to organize a clothing drive. Every six weeks, a mock-store was set up in the high school's gymnasium, the grade-school students were given $100 in play money, and they had the opportunity to go around with a high school students to select clothes for that amount. The high school students rotated between the cash register and the floor. After the program, a mentoring relationship was kept up between the students, through writing and trips back to the high school.

UB student-athletes and UB staff chose to adapt the CareWears program to fit the local Buffalo community. John Lambert, Associate Athletic Director, External Relations, suggested Aeropostale, a Mid-American Conference sponsor, as a potential participant in the CareWears program. After an agreement to participate was made by Aeropostale, Calvert wrote a proposal for donations and they willingly agreed to give $125 gift cards.

Instead of bringing the clothes to the students, the students will go to the clothes. Allowing the children to actually shop for the clothes will let them choose any sizes and colors they would like. "Michael Jordan, the regional-store manager, is going to have about 15 sales associates there to give the children a lot of individual attention," said Kellie Peiper, UB's Student-Athlete Services Coordinator.

UB Student-Athlete Services and West Hertel Academy teachers are doing their best to make the CareWears children feel special about their gift from the local community. The West Hertel Academy students were asked to create a work of art in order for UB student-athletes to learn about them, and then 12 were selected by their teachers. The theme is "What makes me unique." Posters, poems, essays, drawings, paintings, and sculptures will be used to pair up UB student-athletes with West Hertel Academy students of similar interests.

According to Calvert, "We will be going around to the classrooms and it will be up to the teacher to decide if we will work individually with a CareWears student or speak to the whole class." Eight male and eight female athletes were selected as mentors. Twelve of the 16 student-athletes will be in attendance at CareWears.

The CareWears committee is working around the clock to put the program together. They are looking for a diverse group of student-athletes to participate, which will include the executive board of the Student-Athlete Advisory committee. "A bottle drive recently began and is ongoing to raise funds for the CareWears t-shirts and lunch at Garfield's. We have raised over $100 with the help of the football team and local businesses," said Calvert.

According to Peiper, "Our goals for the CareWears program include both the students of West Hertel Academy and the UB student-athletes having a great experience. We want the children to walk away feeling like royalty. This is an opportunity for our student-athletes to give back to the community. Through this, they can realize how blessed they are."

Calvert has seen the CareWears program evolve and would like it to continue. "I would like to see the CareWears program grow into the future. We are hoping to involve more student-athletes, more children, and raise more money next year," said Calvert.

Student-Athlete Services and the CareWears committee would like to thank the Department of Athletics, Aeropostale, Tomasello Limousine, and the local community for being extremely supportive of the CareWears program. All of the sponsors, the UB student-athletes, and UB staff will light up the faces of the CareWears children, which will continue to shine past the afternoon of April 2, 2003.

~ Written by Ariella Levine

03/26/2003