GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG athletic department held its second annual Big Help Day on Wednesday as every staff member and coach took time out of his or her schedule to give back to the Greensboro community. The Spartans donated their time volunteering at five different organizations across the region throughout the day, adding to the more than 1,000 cumulative volunteer hours during the 2014-15 season that UNCG student-athletes donated.
“The Big Help Day is a great chance for our coaches and staff to give back to the Greensboro community. We are excited to continue this yearly tradition,” Director of Athletics Kim Record said. “One of our core values in the department is community engagement and there isn’t a better way to support community initiatives than to actually give our time. Greensboro supports our student-athletes, coaches and staff on a daily basis throughout the year, so it is important that we find ways to show our appreciation.”
The Spartans did a variety of projects throughout the day at the five different locations. UNCG sent volunteers to the Greensboro Arboretum, Kopper Top, Out of the Garden, Backpack Beginnings and Camp Weaver.
“We are always stressing teamwork in our department and with our student-athletes, so this is a great opportunity for our department to come out and help with so many different organizations in our region,” women’s basketball head coach Wendy Palmer said.
The Spartans spent time this morning at Out of the Garden Project, which provides healthy food to over 900 families with children in Greensboro. The Spartans worked to fill bags of nonperishable and grocery items in preparation for distribution to the families this week.
“Everything we do is only possible because of our partnerships and volunteers,” Out of the Garden Director Don Milholin said. “We have more than 600 volunteers that come to our warehouse each month, but when UNCG Athletics gets involved, it makes other want to get involved. The best part of having athletics staff and coaches out here is they are so competitive, so we get a lot of work done. You would be amazed at the amount of work they accomplished in three hours.”
The Spartans also helped out at a similar organization called Backpack Beginnings, which provides food and comfort items to children in need. They assisted filling the bags for the children at the warehouse on Alliance Drive.
“When you come to these different organizations and you get the explanation of what is needed, especially in terms the kids in the community and how many people are hungry, it really hits home and is something everyone needs to do more of,” head tennis coach Jeff Trivette said.
UNCG donated time at Kopper Top facility, which provides quality therapy services in a non-clinical environment at a 33-acre farm in southeast Guilford County. Staff members assisted with the animals on the farm at Kopper Top, helping with the daily meals for the farm. The Spartans also worked outside at the YMCA Camp Weaver location with various landscaping projects.
“I think this is a vital part of what we do each and every day,” head softball coach Janelle Breneman said. “We work together and we coordinate each day, usually for practice and games, but today we got to get out and do a little manual labor, giving back to all these great organizations.”
UNCG also helped out at the Greensboro Arboretum on Wednesday morning, working on the 17-acre site that is free to all residents of the Triad. Coaches and staff members helped with landscaping maintenance, providing assistance to the normal staff of four that covers the grounds on a daily basis.
“Days like today are great for our department,” head women’s golf coach Janell Howland said. “We get so much in athletics from the community and it is nice to give back by getting out in the community, helping others.”
UNCG Big Help Day Locations
Out Of The Garden Project
300 N Carolina 68 - https://www.outofthegardenproject.org/
About Out Of The Garden Project: It is a food assistance program for families primarily in Guilford County. It desires to partner with parents, teachers, friends, and organizations to provide food and hope for every child. It provides a bag of food, including two meals, for a family of four (6-7 lbs.) each Friday at 50+ schools in Guilford County and one in Forsyth County. Reaches more than 900 families each week.
Backpack Beginnings
3714 Alliance Drive - http://backpackbeginnings.org/
About Backpack Beginnings: Goal is to provide children in need with nutritious food, comfort items or basic necessities through the use of backpacks or other efficient means of distribution.
Kopper Top
6657 Kimesville Road - http://www.koppertop.org/
About Kopper Top: Dedicated to providing quality therapy services. Utilizes a non-clinical atmosphere by providing therapeutic horseback riding, recreational therapy, animal-assisted therapy and horticulture therapy to individuals with or without disabilities.
YMCA Camp Weaver
http://campweaver.org/
About Camp Weaver: YMCA Camp Weaver is an exceptional facility located in beautiful southeast Greensboro, North Carolina. The Camp consists of 100 acres of gorgeous rolling hills, wooded areas, fields, hiking trails, lakes, creeks, shaded spaces and modern facilities that provide an ideal setting for our high quality programs.
Greensboro Arboretum
401 Ashland Drive - http://www.greensborobeautiful.org/gardens/greensboro_arboretum.php
About The Greensboro Arboretum: This 17-acre site features 10 woody plant collections, special display gardens and distinct structural features. The extensive variety of plants offers rich educational opportunities for children and adults, landscape designers and homeowners. The garden is open year-round from sunrise to sunset.