Providence College Athletics Finishes Fifth in NCAA Division I Team Works Community Service Competition

"As @PCAthletics we're more than just people, athletes, and students. We are givers back."@PCfriarsoftball Julia Murphy & @FriarVolleyball Jessica Spontak join @meghancaffrey_ after the Friars finished 5th in @HelperHelperApp community service rankings#BIGEASTServes #BEFamily pic.twitter.com/rfvTAw9Fne
— BIG EAST Conference (@BIGEAST) May 28, 2020

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Providence College Athletics finished fifth overall in the NCAA Division I Team Works Community Service Competition with four Friar teams finishing in the top-10.

The Friars finished fifth in the NCAA for community service hours, leading all schools in the BIG EAST Conference. Since July 2019, Friar student-athletes have logged a combined 3,245 hours volunteering at 145 events serving 33 different organizations. The economic impact of these hours totaled $82,525.

Four teams have also been recognized in the 2020 NCAA Team Works Helper Helper Community Service competition.

Friar Volleyball took the top spot in Division I Volleyball by logging 384 hours teaming up with organizations such as Team IMPACT, Special Olympics and Friars Serve which is an initiative that pairs PC volunteers with five Providence Catholic Pre-K – 8 schools.

Friar Lacrosse finished second in Division I Lacrosse by logging 567 hours working with Hasbro Children's Hospital and participating in the Vs. Cancer Fundraising Challenge in support of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. To date, the team has raised over $8,000.

Friar Softball finished in the tenth spot in Division I Softball by logging 322 hours working with Young Athletes through a local elementary school offering weekly curriculum to each kindergarten student's fine motor skills. In addition, the team also participated in Girls on the Run and the Vs. Cancer Fundraising Challenge raising over $3,000 to support Pediatric Brain Tumor patients.

Friar Cheerleading finished in the seventh spot in the Cheer/Spirit/Dance challenge by logging 264 hours supporting eight organizations. The team volunteered at NAMI Walks (National Alliance on Mental Illness), Special Olympics and Girls on the Run RI.

One hundred percent participation from all 350 student-athletes came through two yearly efforts led by SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Council). Each year, all teams donate cranberry sauce as part of the Smith Hill Community Development Cooperation which serves the local area surrounding Providence College by helping to provide a Thanksgiving meal to families in the area. Over 400 cans of cranberry sauce were donated toward this initiative in November.

In addition, each team adopts children for Christmas through the DaVinici Center's Adopt-A-Family project. The Adopt-A-Family Project is a program set in place to improve the quality of life for the residents in the North End of Providence. The families work with the center throughout the year in a variety of ways. This specific program matches donors with children in need to provide gifts of clothing and toys during the Christmas season. All 19 varsity athletic sports teams at Providence College were assigned a group of children to help provide for. This year, over 350 gifts were delivered to the center for 125 children from 35 local families.

Although its hours weren't recognized in the top-10 of its sport, the Providence College swimming and diving team, through their partnership with Swim Across America, raised a record $37,000 to support the Oncology Center at Women and Infants Hospital in Providence despite the event being canceled in Rhode Island.

About Helper Helper
Helper Helper is an app and web portal that makes it simple for institutions to track hours and coordinate community service opportunities. Former University of Michigan basketball player Krista Clement founded Helper Helper to simplify the volunteer process for students and help them create a lasting impact within their communities. Helper Helper works with over 350 colleges and universities, including a partnership with all of NCAA Division I and NCAA Team Works™. For more information on Helper Helper, visit www.HelperHelper.com or follow them on Twitter (@HelperHelperApp).

Providence College Athletics

Providence College Athletics Finishes Fifth in NCAA Division I Team Works Community Service Competition

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