Written by WAC SAAC members
The Western Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (WAC SAAC) is comprised of two student-athletes from each of the nine WAC member institutions. Last summer, when the student-athletes of the committee gathered for their annual in-person meeting, the majority of the institutions were new members of the conference, but they were all about business. There was a sweet, sweet spirit in the atmosphere.
Newly-elected WAC SAAC President Dalton Kelley, a senior student-athlete at California State University, Bakersfield, came to the meeting with an agenda. “We are not the WAC of the past, but we are the WAC’s future,” Kelley said at the meeting. This one liner alone set the tone of the meeting. The student-athletes were all inspired by their new leader.
Kelley told his peers to arise, get revived and to become more than excited about being part of the “new” WAC. The student-athletes of the committee responded. They agreed to return to their individual campuses and to deliver the message, “We aren’t the past, but we will be the future.” As part of the future, WAC SAAC will give back.
Stirred by the messages delivered during the meeting, WAC SAAC Gives Back – Shaping the Youth of the (mid)WEST – became the committee’s slogan for the 2013-14 academic year.
The SAAC program at each member institution is required to participate in the general student governing body on its campus, required to donate time and service to its own athletics department, required to make meaningful connections with the different departments on campus and is required to participate in a minimum of 500 community service hours within its community.
The student-athletes are holding true to their word and commitment. They are making strides to demonstrate that they are more than just athletes on their campuses. Through actions rather than in words, they’ve shown that they are leaders, and they are representatives of their institutions who care about the well-being of the student-athletes, the general student-population and the youth in the community.
The proof can be seen in their efforts towards the WAC SAAC Holiday Toy Drive. As part of the WAC SAAC Gives Back campaign, the SAACs at each of the nine WAC institutions participated in a Holiday Toy Drive that raised $26,907.23. Each member institution’s SAAC program collected toys and/or raised funds that were used to buy toys which were then donated to the charity of each institution's choosing. Among the organizations that benefitted from the Toy Drive were the Bakersfield Ronald McDonald House, Lauren Small Children's Medical Center, The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, Canyon Cares Christmas, Christmas for Kids, Operation Breakthrough, Jardin de los Niños, Rotary Boys & Girls Club, Adopt-An-Angel and Toys for Tots.
WAC SAAC’s goal with the toy drive was to collect as many toys and raise as much money as possible to purchase toys for underprivileged kids in their communities. Student-athletes at each member institution raised money and/or collected toys through collections at sporting events, special events, and/or by working in conjunction with other campus and community groups who were willing to participate in the toy drive.
The toy drive was an integral part in WAC SAAC’s overall mission to enhance the student-athlete experience by contributing to their personal growth, leadership development, and by engaging them in service in their campus and surrounding communities. This event was not only key in assisting WAC SAAC to give back to their communities, but also worked in accordance with WAC SAAC’s goal of increasing its presence in leadership roles throughout the nine institutions’ campuses and within their communities.
In an effort to celebrate the success of the event and to encourage the student-athletes to carry on, the institution that raised the most money will be recognized during the WAC Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas in March.
“We had a great response to the toy drive. Thank you to everyone who donated and assisted with the effort to make a difference to families within our community.” – Brooke Melvin, Chicago State SAAC President
“We are so thankful for Chicago State University and their athletic department for collecting toys and raising awareness for the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center. It is wonderful to see students not only take leadership on the court and in athletics, but also in their communities. The toys that have been collected will go to serve over 350 families who have applied for Christmas Assistance through the Kroc Center. Through Chicago State University's efforts, children will have smiles on their faces on Christmas and their families' lives will be enriched. Thank you, Chicago State University! We look forward to seeing how we can partner together to make our community a better place.” – Major Harvey, The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Corps Community Center Administrator
"It was a great combined effort of the University and SAAC to help raise money and toys for the kids in the surrounding community. To be a part of making a difference in their lives was a humbling experience." – Grand Canyon University
"As Aggies, community involvement is something that is always a top priority for us. We were so thrilled to be able to contribute to Jardin de Los Niños. We are so proud of WAC SAAC for taking such an initiative.” – New Mexico State University
“It was awesome to see all of our institutions come together as a conference under our WAC SAAC Gives Back banner to donate toys to the youth in our communities, especially considering that most of our institutions were new to the WAC and/or had never done a toy drive in the past. I was thrilled when I heard our final total and I feel that it is something that our athletes, institutions and conference should really be proud of. I think we should be just as proud of our process as we are of our product because it took the effort of our WAC SAAC members stepping up as leaders at their institutions to orchestrate the events and forge the relationships with campus and community groups that made it possible for us to raise so many toys. The success of the toy drive has set the bar for service and community involvement for our future events and has put us on the right track toward what we envision as the WAC of the future.”
– Dalton Kelley, WAC SAAC President, California State University, Bakersfield
“As a Conference, we want to provide our student-athletes with opportunities to foster positive professional relationships and to engage in meaningful activities in which they can gain real experience and acquire leadership skills that they can use in the future. As part of the Holiday Toy Drive, it was my expectation for the student-athletes to be ambassadors for their institutions, and for them to find creative ways to accomplish their goals. Most importantly, I wanted the WAC SAAC student-athletes to make every effort to engage their student-athletes, the general student population, their campus community and the community as a whole to come together for one great cause, which was to give back.” – Nicole Harvey, Western Athletic Conference Assistant Commissioner, WAC SAAC Advisor
Based on the number of organizations that benefited from the cause and the number of interactions that the student-athletes had with other members throughout their campuses and communities, the student-athletes accomplished their goals.
WAC SAAC is proud to GIVE BACK! We aren’t the past but we are the WAC’s future.