GBC Athletics Named an NCAA Division II Award of Excellence Finalist a Second Time

General | 1/14/2019 12:00:00 AM

Goldey-Beacom College's Department of Athletics once again made its significance in community service known by being named a finalist for the 2019 NCAA Division II Award of Excellence.

Each finalist, one representing each Division II conference and an independent representative, receives $500 for its event or activity from 2018 that exemplifies any of the six Division II attributes: learning, balance, resourcefulness, sportsmanship, passion and service.

The winner and two runner-ups will be announced during the Division II Business Session at the NCAA Convention later this month in Orlando, FL. The winner receives $1,500, intended for future community engagement events and a nationally televised football game or basketball doubleheader during the 2019-20 academic year. The first runner-up receives $1,250 and the second runner-up $1,000.

Goldey-Beacom's honor entitled "Veterans of The Summit: Stories of Service" comes from its work with The Summit, a retirement community in nearby Hockessin, DE which houses veterans of the military. With the help of "GBC Cares," the department's community service arm, this is the fourth academic year in which the College's student-athletes have volunteered their time and talents to provide help, entertainment and friendship to many who served in the United States military.

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Through the work of Associate Director of Athletics/Compliance Director Jeremy Benoit, GBC Cares in 2018 worked with The Summit to transcribe the lives of the veterans and how it would be presented. Those involved included members of our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the general student-athlete body, Lightning Studio (a multimedia student organization), GBC Lit (a literary student organization) and members of the Athletics and Development staffs. The primary organizers of the project were Lorenzo Gama from Men's Soccer, Geoff Stone from Lightning Studio and Benoit.

Many of the aforementioned took part in conversations with 39 of the veterans which not only discussed their stories, but fostered friendships, created memories and left everyone with a warm feeling in their heart along with new knowledge in their brain. The work of everyone is being transcribed into a book with stories and pictures that is anticipated to be concluded this spring.

"We could not be more proud of our students," Benoit said. "I brought this idea to our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Lightning Studio last year and they hit the ground running. Not only getting involved in the outside community, but using other student organizations, departments and faculty as resources was important. This project is the essence of community engagement."

This warmth continued November 9 when The Summit invited all from the College to its Veterans Day celebration. Many from the College ate breakfast with the veterans and then the student-athletes ushered them to their seats for the program, which included several speeches and a live band that played the music from the different branches of the military. The relationships the GBC students built with these very important people has blossomed into not just a service activity, but a friendship that will continue to grow for years.

"I'm very grateful the Goldey-Beacom team was able to meet with nearly every one of our veterans," said Independent Living Program Director at The Summit, Scott Thomas. "Several of those recorded have passed away within the year, but we now have their faces and voices to help us remember. I can easily say that the "Veterans of the Summit: Stories of Service" project has had a greater positive impact on the lives of our veterans than any other presentation, event or activity since opening our doors in 2015."

Goldey-Beacom in 2015 also was a finalist for the award thanks to "Bras for the Cause," the College's work in helping raise money, awareness and collecting bras during breast cancer awareness month. GBC worked with 93.7 WSTW FM and the Wake-Up Crew to collect these bras with a goal of 700 in mind, easily surpassed with 1,549 obtained that was made to into a huge pink ribbon.

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