PSUAC Student-Athlete Advisory Council Hosting Volunteer Week in April

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Across the Commonwealth, Penn State University Athletic Conference student-athletes will participate in the fourth annual PSUAC Student-Athlete Advisory Council Volunteer Week. Beginning April 1, the previously one-week event has been extended to cover two weeks in April, which is National Volunteer Month.

The event is an opportunity for PSUAC students to engage with their campus and local communities, with a majority of the 14 campuses participating each year. 

"Our student-athletes are important members of the campus community, and they show it daily by representing it every day on the field or court," said PSUAC Commissioner Ryan Ehrie. "It's important for them to understand the value of being part of the local community, and they continue to impress me with the efforts they put in around the year. It's exciting to see the culmination of that end with service that goes above and beyond their participation in sport."

Each campus is afforded the opportunity to determine its own volunteer activities, and all teams and team members are encouraged to participate. Participation has ranged from eight to 12 of the 14 member campuses over the first three years of the event, with more than 100 student-athletes participating each year.

In 2024, volunteer events will range from Penn State Mont Alto's campus clean-up on April 8 to Penn State Hazleton's food drive to benefit local food pantries. Penn State Brandywine has taken the success of SAAC's 3's for THON event and expanded to its baseball and softball season, planning a "Hits for THON" drive to raise money for the student-led THON initiative.

"It's great to see our students not only participate in these types of events, but lead and organize them as well," adds Ehrie. "I hope that the event will only continue to grow and encompass all of our campuses and student-athletes.