Student-athletes at Belmont University took part in NCAA’s Civic Engagement Day by volunteering with foster children of Middle Tennessee. With the help of the Tennessee Alliance for Kids, they hosted a TAK PAK party. Student-athletes, coaches and athletic department staff packed backpacks full of toys, clothing, and personal hygiene products for kids.
Ryan Neises, director of student-athlete formation, told Belmont Bruins News, “Once again, our student-athletes and the entire athletic department stepped up and provided items for children who are going through the most uncertain and hard time in their life. Today's initiative continues our mission here at Belmont to not only to be successful on the field but engage our community in impactful ways."
On NCAA’s Civic Engagement Day at Belmont and at universities across the country, athletically related activities are prohibited. With no scheduled games or practices, student-athletes are given time to participate in civic engagement activities co-hosted by the athletic departments.
According to the NCAA, “In 2020, Division I SAAC recommended the Division I Council adopt legislation to specify that countable athletically related activities be prohibited on the first Tuesday after Nov. 1 every year to promote participation in civic engagement activities. The council adopted the proposal unanimously ahead of the 2020 election.”
In photos of this year’s event shared by Belmont Bruins News, student-athletes can be seen working in groups to pack the backpacks in the athletic department. They could write notes to the children as well.
The Tennessee Alliance for Kids (TAK) helps children in foster care create a sense of belonging through the TAK PAKS. The organization knows that foster children are often required to move in and out of a home quickly. They may only have time to pack a backpack worth of items as they move, thus the organization created TAK PAKS.
