The Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) at Pepperdine is not only competing on the court and field but also in community service. SAAC members are rivaling against schools in the West Coast Conference to donate the most pairs of shoes to the needy around the world through Soles4Souls.
“Athletes are usually associated with the court or field said Director of Marketing and Alumni Relations Heather Collart. Soles4Souls shows what athletes are able to do in the community.”
Shoe donations are being promoted in many ways on campus and throughout the community. Collection boxes have been placed in key locations around campus including Waves Café the HAWC and Sandbar.
The competition ends Feb. 23 and the winning school will be announced at the WCC basketball Tournament on March 6-9 in Las Vegas. The students of the winning school who are at the championships will receive a pizza party.
SAAC believes the campaign will be prevalent for the student body because opportunities to donate are readily available. Seniors Julie Rubenstein and Cassie Chamberlain of the women’s volleyball team work together to run Pepperdine’s SAAC. Rubenstein serves as the SAAC representative for the WCC.
“Participation varies from team to team but most athletes are excited about it Rubenstein said.
The campaign is also being promoted at men’s and women’s basketball games. Flyers are passed out, offering free admission to games for anyone who brings in a pair of new or slightly worn shoes.
Each school was given a goal of 500 pairs of shoes. As of yesterday, Pepperdine had compiled close to 800 pairs of shoes, according to Collart.
The competition between schools plays a large part in the success of the campaign.
The rivalries between WCC schools keeps the athletes excited about [Soles4Souls] Rubenstein said.
SAAC was formed to bring together athletes for community service projects and discuss major issues in college athletics. The idea for the conference-wide competition was created last year, when the SAAC presidents from the different schools came together to organize a community service project.
Later this semester, SAAC has plenty of other events planned, including a Read to Athletes” program in which athletes will go to local schools and read to kids.
SAAC is also putting on “Mr. All-American a male beauty pageant. Including in this event will be question and answer, swimsuit and talent portions. Each men’s sports team will have a representative in the pageant and half the proceeds will go to charity. The event is being planned for the end of March. The Soles4Souls competition is a result of Rubenstein and other students’ work.
The event brings student athletes and the general student body together for a really awesome organization Rubenstein said.