UB Student-Athlete Advisory Committee To Hold Fifth Annual CareWears Day

Student-athletes reach out to impact students at West Hertel Elementary

CareWears

BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will hold its fifth annual CareWears Day on Wednesday, May 2 as part of its community outreach program. Along with Buffalo Wild Wings Restaurant, Aeropostale and Amherst Limousine, UB student-athletes hope to lift the self-confidence of 30 students from West Hertel Elementary School in Buffalo by taking them on an afternoon shopping spree to remember.

UB student-athletes and mascot Victor E. Bull will arrive at West Hertel in the morning to pick up 30 chosen students, who will then be whisked away in a limousine to Aeropostale in the Boulevard Mall for a $100 per student shopping spree. Aeropostale will provide extra staff to allow its sales associates to dedicate their full attention to the West Hertel students, each of whom will be accompanied by a UB student-athlete as they select clothes and decide how to spend their gift card. An afternoon of shopping will give way to a much-needed lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant before returning to school in the limo.

Students in grades seventh and eighth at West Hertel were given the opportunity to partake in a “What Makes a Good Leader” art contest, encouraged to be artistic in making a piece of art that portrays their idea of what makes a good leader. Their teachers and UB Student-Athletes then selected 30 winners to participate in the CareWears Day.

CareWears was brought to UB by women’s soccer player Anna-Lesa Calvert (Dallas, TX/Bryan Adams), whose high school in Dallas originated the idea when local grade school students expressed a need for newer clothes through embarrassment of their frayed pants, shorts and shirts. The high school students and staff organized a clothing drive every six weeks, and the students were able to “buy” clothes using $100 in play money.

With Aeropostale’s continued sponsorship and overwhelming support, UB Athletics has had the opportunity to expand the program each year. Last year, 25 students from Highgate Heights School were selected to participate. In 2004, 20 students from School 53 participated in the event, and twelve students from West Hertel Academy participated in the inaugural CareWears event in 2003. SAAC’s goal is to keep expanding the CareWears program to help more students and to engage more UB student-athletes. A recent addition to the program is that; for the last month members of UB Athletics volunteered at West Hertel in an after school program; in which they helped with homework and anything else the kids needed to work on.

“CareWears is a great opportunity for our student-athletes to mentor young people in the Buffalo community,” said Sharon Sanford, Assistant Athletic Director. “Our hope is that the children of West Hertel Elementary understand and appreciate the importance of leadership and strive to be good leaders in their communities in the future.”

04/30/2007