by Felipe Reyes, WAC SAAC President, Grand Canyon University
The Western Athletic Conference Student Athlete Advisory Committee (WAC SAAC), which is comprised of two student-athletes from each of the eight WAC member institutions, completed its second annual fundraiser during the holiday season.
Last year the WAC SAAC program initiated a tremendous movement of giving back to our respective communities. Donations were collected at each institution and passed on to the organization of choice. WAC SAAC opted for the 2014 Holiday Toy Drive to serve Toys for Tots as its primary benefactor. The focus of giving back was carried over from former WAC SAAC President Dalton Kelly (Bakersfield) to new President Felipe Reyes (Grand Canyon).
“We are more than just a Division I athletic conference, we are a family consisting of 16 leaders throughout the country with a mission of enhancing the communities that give so much to our institutions,†Reyes said.
A member of the initial WAC SAAC committee that launched the project in 2013, Reyes worked hand-in-hand with Kelly to continue the tradition into the 2014-2015 school year. The motion to select Toys for Tots was approved by the WAC SAAC during the group's summer in-person meeting. Staying focused on helping each SAAC institution's community was important to each member across the board. It is reflective in the effort demonstrated throughout the year with WAC SAAC's Toy Drive and Celebrity Reading projects within the local schools and community.
This year the WAC SAAC Toy Drive collected nearly $7,000 for Toys for Tots. Additionally, other foundations including Ronald McDonald House Charities, Salvation Army, Canyon Cares Christmas, Christmas for Kids, the Boy's and Girl's Club and Adopt-An-Angel benefitted from the drive. Student-athletes, along with their campus SAAC, competed for a month long project to raise the most donations possible for this tremendous collaborative cause. Ultimately, the institution contributing the most was Utah Valley.
The Toy Drive's goal is to raise donations, but more importantly help out the families around these important holiday times. It also helps enhance the overall student-athlete experience, as there is so much that can be taken for granted when school and athletics are the only thing on the athletes' minds.
"I'm very thankful for each of the eight participating universities' SAAC within our premier athletic conference," Reyes said. "I know that none of this is possible without the tremendous WAC SAAC committee members who help bring this back to their universities and get their athletic departments and universities to collectively participate. It is an amazing learning experience for all of us as student-athletes as we tend to get caught up in our day-to-day schedules and we forget to give back and take a second to reflect on our blessings. I was ecstatic to continue this competition among our WAC institutions, as last year was an amazing success. As a WAC SAAC, we want to continue to push the boundaries in our community and not just be known for our competitive athletics, but also for our outreach. I'm truly honored to be a part of such an amazing group of leaders."