UMKC SAAC Has Record High Donations for Annual Toy Drive
12/20/2018 4:23:00 PM | Academic Support
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Throughout the months of November and December, UMKC student-athletes engaged in the annual UMKC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Toy Drive, collecting toy and monetary donations to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City. Teams looked to friends, family and fans to help this cause and successfully raised a record amount of donations through collections at games, bake sales, and fan clinics.
The UMKC SAAC Holiday Toy Drive is part of a Western Athletic Conference (WAC) SAAC initiative to promote community engagement throughout the school year. All WAC member schools are charged with implementing community outreach programs between November and February for a conference-wide challenge, with WAC SAAC representatives voting on the most successful outreach program for the “WAC Community Service Award”.
Last year, the UMKC SAAC holiday toy drive raised over $2,000 in donations and won the WAC Community Service Award. This year, UMKC SAAC had a goal to raise $2,500 and shattered that goal by raising over $3,500. SAAC raised this money through collections at home athletic events, a Teddy bear toss at a Women's Basketball game, and through team contributions.
Brandon McKissic, sophomore on the men's basketball team and UMKC SAAC Vice President, noted that “the annual SAAC toy drive is important because we get to make a difference in our community. I got to see the kids' lives changed by bringing them gifts they may not have gotten.”
Anna Lillig, senior on the women's soccer team and UMKC SAAC president, inspired her fellow Roos to donate and to raise a record amount of donations. Lillig said, “the last four years I've been able to help out with my favorite UMKC SAAC community service event, our annual toy drive. This year was by far the best as we raised over $3,500 in toy and money donations, crushing our initial goal of raising $2,500.”
Once all of the toys and cash donations were collected, UMKC SAAC representatives took a shopping trip to their local Target store to buy toys, movies and books. After the toys were purchased, a group of student-athletes delivered the toys to the students at the local Boys and Girls Club. Lillig also noted that “it is so heartwarming and rewarding to watch these kids' faces light up when we deliver them their presents. A big thank you to the Roo Family and everyone who helped contribute in bringing joy to the kids at the Boys & Girls Club.”
Abby Small, a junior on the women's soccer team and SAAC representative, participated in shopping and delivering the toys. Small said, “it was so amazing to see how excited all the kids were. You could tell it really brightened their day. I'm really glad we got to be there when they picked the toys out, it was my favorite part!”
Ursula Gurney, Deputy Athletics Director/SWA, noted that, “giving back to the community is an important part of our department's strategic mission, and it is wonderful to see our student-athletes enhance their efforts year-after-year.”
Assistant Director of Academic Support, Amelia Howard, serves as the UMKC SAAC Advisor. Howard stated, “I was so proud of our student-athletes and their efforts during the Toy Drive this year. They set a high goal and were able to go above and beyond in their collection efforts. Their passion for giving back to the Kansas City community is commendable.”
For photos of this and other UMKC community service events, visit SASSO's Facebook page.
