BENNINGTON, Vt. – Members of Southern Vermont College’s men’s & women’s cross country, women’s soccer, and outdoor track & field teams got into the holiday spirit over the last few weeks by helping provide gifts to a pair of local organizations for children to receive presents that they might not have otherwise received.
Both endeavors were to support the Spirit of Sharing program, helping three families present their kids clothing and toys that they requested on their wish lists. The cross country and track & field squads utilized a bottle drive to raise funds to help out two families through the Pownal Elementary School, and the women’s soccer crew worked with the Catamount Rotary Club and Agency of Human Services to supply an additional family with presents.
"Everyone on the team is so grateful for this small act of kindness that we can do for our community,” commented Emily Lesure (Cheshire, Mass.), a senior on SVC’s women’s cross country squad. “It is even better that we raised the money ourselves through the bottle drive and then shopped and wrapped gifts together. That shows a lot about the type of people that are part of this team— hardworking and dedicated student-athletes. Plus, shopping for kids is fun when you know what kind of shows and movies they like and what clothes they need.”
The cross country and track & field teams were able to raise about $160 through collecting bottles and cans from around the area. The Mountaineers were assisted by faculty and staff from the College, door-to-door donations in Bennington, and by a pair of local restaurants— the Publyk House and Your Belly’s Deli.
This marked the second-straight year that those three squads participated in the Spirit of Sharing program, the idea stemming from head coach Kathleen Newton ‘04.
“Knowing you are helping local families and bringing joy to children during the holiday season is the best part of being involved with it,” Newton said. “It gives the team a sense of community and being involved, and it also helps us appreciate all that we have while helping others who are less fortunate. I’d like to thank the faculty and staff of the College who made a contribution to the drive as we were able to purchase all of gifts on the lists.”
The women’s soccer program had not originally thought of participating in the Spirit of Sharing, but the decision to do so spawned as the team was looking to do something together early in the holiday season.
“We had planned to do a ‘Secret Santa’ as a team,” noted SVC head coach Michael Zauzig. “Credit goes to Vanessa Kendall for suggesting we replace that with sponsoring a family. The team loved the idea, and we immediately went forward with it.”
The Mountaineers worked together to obtain each of the presents on their family’s list, helping build camaraderie while taking a break from finishing up their fall semester.
"It means a lot to me to have the opportunity to do this for families,” said Kendall (Coventry, Conn.), a sophomore and second-year student manager for the women’s soccer team. “The joy that comes with shopping for their gifts is so satisfying."
Getting involved with the Spirit of Sharing not only gave the student-athletes an opportunity to help out strangers, but also gave them a chance to spend quality time together outside of the traditional team setting.
"Whether it is the holiday season or not, I like to help out whenever I can,” Lesure added. “I think what Coach Kathleen does this time of year is absolutely incredible. We talked about how these gifts might be the only things these children are getting this year, which is a sad reality for quite a few families. The best part about being involved was that I got to hang out with my teammates all together again. The cross country team is like a family to me, so to have everyone together again— especially at this time of year— means a lot to me.”
The coaches were both appreciative of their athletes’ willingness to get involved and give back while also keeping a positive perspective about what they do have, instead of what they don’t.
“The opportunity to be a student-athlete is a privilege, and I want the team to remember that,” Zauzig continued. “This is a great reminder that: not everyone has the same benefits and opportunities as us. We need to keep that on our mind and take these opportunities to improve the community.”
Anyone looking to get involved in the Spirit of Sharing next year can get more information by emailing spiritofsharing.bennington@gmail.com.
– #LetsGoSVC –