Shenandoah athletes recognized for 6,310 hours of community service

Shenandoah University’s approximately 600 student-athletes from the university’s 22 teams placed first among Division III schools in an annual community service competition.

Shenandoah was first among 20 participating NCAA DIII schools in the 2019-2020 community service end-of-year Helper Helper rankings. Helper Helper is a web-based app that tracks and coordinates community service events. The app is used at more than 200 NCAA institutions and is an efficient way to keep track of the good that athletic departments do in their communities. Shenandoah has been a part of Helper Helper since the fall of 2018. The university was second in the country in Division III in 2018-19.

“I am so proud of the way our student-athletes embrace the university mission of becoming compassionate citizens, committed to giving back to our local community and beyond,” said Director of Athletics Bridget Lyons, Ph.D.

From July 1, 2019 to May 7, 2020, Shenandoah athletes totalled 6,310 hours of community service with an economic impact of $160,463.

The student-athlete with the most hours logged is senior Taylor White, a member of the women’s track and field team, who donated 59 hours and 45 minutes of her time. The Shenandoah teams with the highest average hours of community service per athlete were the men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams, followed by women’s basketball and women’s soccer.

Athletes volunteered with a multitude of organizations and at several events, including a pancake breakfast for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a food drive for Bright Futures-Winchester/ Frederick, at Kernstown Battlefield, a blood drive for American Red Cross, at a Kids’ Day Out Event for Orchard View Elementary School, and as lunch and recess buddies at Quarles Elementary School and running buddies for Girls on the Run.