Like every year, Conference USA has issued a competition to all C-USA schools to raise money for a charity of their choice. However, this year a guideline was given in a single word: change.
It was the responsibility of the SMU Student Athlete Advisory Committee to interpret just how they wanted to create change within a community.
The chosen recipient this year will be RISE Adventures.
RISE – which stands for recovery, inspiration, success and empowerment – is a non-profit organization founded in 2007. Their mission statement: “To help persons with physical challenges to gain independence through a learning experience in adaptive outdoor adventures and sporting programs.”
RISE offers many activities to its participants such as handcycling, quad-rugby, jet skiing, sled hockey and camping trips. All programs are free of charge and are composed of three basic levels that will allow for learning and improvement of the experience. Men and women of all ages are encouraged to partake in RISE.
According to track and field SAAC representative senior Lauren Kuhner, SAAC was compelled to help RISE’s cause after meeting Mike Peters who had benefited from the RISE experience and is a part of the non-profit.
“We just became so passionate about RISE because of being athletes and thinking about if we were unable to compete,” Kuhner said.
Another track and field member, senior Kylie Spurgeon, was impressed that Peters felt he was not impaired because of his experience with RISE.
Spurgeon said, “He [Peters] said, ‘You know nothing hampers me, I can do anything I want through this program.'”
SAAC is composed of two athletes from each varsity sport on campus. The group is in charge of planning and hosting many events for the athletic community throughout the school year.
However, according to Kuhner, this event will be a little different in that SAAC would like to use this event to help blend the SMU community by enlisting the help of all SMU students. In previous years, SAAC has held a can food drive to benefit their selected charity just among SMU’s athlete community.
This year, they plan on extending the request for donations to all of SMU. Keeping with the theme of change, SAAC is asking students and those on campus to donate their pocket change to the cause.
“We thought, change (coins)? That sounds cool; that’s what they are doing, they are changing kids’ lives for the better,” Kuhner said.
All this week, jars will be around campus to allow everyone to participate. Donation jars will also be at the SMU football game on Nov. 14 when the Mustangs play the University of Texas at El Paso.
