One of Marywood’s Core Values is service. The Athletic Department at Marywood exemplifies this core value by their outstanding action of giving back to the community.
From the field to the court, Marywood athletic teams participate year after year in service projects, especially around winter, the coldest of months.
This year, the Women’s Basketball team will be holding a clothing drive to benefit the St. Francis of Assisi Soup Kitchen.
Head Coach Tara Macciocco believes that giving back to the community is important to the team. “We enjoy giving back to the community that supports us every year and volunteering instills very important values in the team,” said Macciocco. “It also helps build a sense of pride in our program that we are helping make a difference in people’s lives.”
This isn’t the first coat drive that Marywood Athletics has participated in. The baseball team ran a coat drive in years past. Pitcher Josh Plisko, senior, was in charge of the drive and won’t forget the experience.
“It’s always great to give back to the community,” Plisko said. “Just to see how grateful people are once they receive the donation is a worthwhile experience in itself.”
Recently, the Wyoming Valley was rocked by flooding of the Susquehanna River. The devastation caused by the flooding called the Marywood Men’s Lacrosse team to Luzerne County. The teams pitched in with the clean up efforts to help victims. In times of devastation, victims might become bitter or upset because they lost everything. But, Gaetan Desimone saw something different in his situation.
“It was an awesome experience helping out,” Desimone said. “Everyone was so friendly and nice and appreciative of the assistance we provided. There was such comradery within the community as they helped each other. Their homes were just open to each other within the devastation. It was honestly so surreal to be a part of a clean up effort. There is fundraising and there is helping out. Helping out with something of this magnitude is just worthwhile.”
But humanitarian service projects aren’t all the Pacers participate in. One project some of the teams take part in is the Susan Komen Race for the Cure. Although the event is plastered in pink, spectators can see an array of green and yellow.
Teaching the sport they love so much to the youth of our area is another way the Athletic Program gives back to the community. In the sweltering summer heat, youth from all over come to the campus to participate in multiple sports camps to “be a Pacer” for a week or so.
The Marywood community should be proud of their Athletic Department for all the service they provide to the community. Even if the respected team does not claim a CSAC title, they are still champions to the community for every student to be proud of.
