MARIETTA, Ohio — Building on the success of last year's stuffed animal drive, the Marietta College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) teamed with
Toys for Tots this holiday season and collected over 400 toys for the Mid-Ohio Valley chapter of the national charity.
"Toys for Tots is such an amazing organization that really makes a difference in many people's lives during the holiday season," SAAC Vice President/Secretary and member of the women's rowing team Rachael Schleich said. "It is so incredible helping out in any way we can and making an impact on the community we live in."
Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas. The program was founded in 1947. Over its life span, the Marine Toys for Tots Program has distributed over 494 million toys to over 230 million less fortunate children.
"As an athlete it is important to give back to the community because they support the college as a whole," SAAC President and member of the softball team Brey Mays said. "The Marietta community supports the athletic department in so many ways so we were happy to lend a hand and give back to our home away from home."
In addition to collecting toys from their fellow student-athletes and the general student body, the SAAC members also asked for help from the area's Pioneer fans. PioNation, as usual, responded in force. In exchange for free admission, fans were asked to bring toys to the men's basketball game versus Wilmington on December 5th.
The toy drive is just another example of how Marietta College's student-athletes give back to the Marietta Community. The Pioneers have a long-standing relationship with the area Special Olympics and several MC teams are regular volunteers with Habitat For Humanity, the Civitan and Shrine Clubs and several other community groups.
"Being an athlete at a small school like Marietta is more than just playing a sport," Schleich said. "It means you are held to a higher standard in academics, on the field and within the community. I believe, as a whole, we take this to heart at Marietta College."
Fans can follow all the Pioneer teams all season long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
