Murray State University Athletics
Lady Racers use day off to help give to those in need
12/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Lady Racers have been working hard all week in practices, and were given Wednesday off. Given a full day to their own devices, most athletes may have rested, worked out, caught up on e-mail or just watched some TV.
But the Lady Racers are not "most athletes."
Senior guard Jenny Bowden, a member of the Regents College Honor Society in her dormitory, had previously volunteered to work with the dorm's Angel Tree, the donations part of The Santa Project, a community gift-giving project for children in need.
When she arrived at Murray State's Beshear Gym -- which houses Santa's Workshop, where The Santa Project has been functioning for 15 years -- Bowden saw three women struggling with what looked to be an overwhelming amount of work.
"I asked them if they could use some help, and they said, 'We were here all last night, praying that someone would help us out!'" Bowden said. "I just thought that we had the day off, so we should do something."
Bowden had come with two teammates, senior guard Stacy Holmes and junior forward Kaleena Miller, and they called three more teammates -- senior guard Megan Fuqua and freshman guards Ashley Hayes and Gerraca Matthews -- who soon joined them.
"They were such a big help," said Michelle Hansen, the Calloway County Schools Family Resource Coordinator who also coordinates the Santa's Workshop team. "They came right in and did a great job. They were really wonderful."
"The volunteers there were so happy to see us," Miller said. "They kept telling us how much they appreciated our help. They were really ecstatic!"
"We filled boxes with gifts that other people had donated," Bowden said. "Some people brought money. One man gave $500! He came in and said, 'Could you use a little money?' and left it there, and the people working didn't even see how much it was until after he left."
"We got boxes and a folder of sheets with families and their needs listed," Fuqua said. "People donated tons of things! It was fun. It was kind of neat to pick out presents for the kids!"
The players worked from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., playing Santa and filling more than 200 boxes for local needy families.
"We worked hard," Bowden said. "There was a lot of stuff.
"It made me thankful for what we do have. There are a lot of kids who, if it weren't for the help of the community, wouldn't have a Christmas. It was fun!"
"We took the lists of children and went to the boxes at different tables," said Miller. "There were boxes for boys and girls and age-appropriate gifts and things, and we filled out the orders!"
"We put the clothes and toys in the boxes for the children," Hayes said. "It made it feel more like Christmas. It hasn't really felt much like Christmas for us, being away from home."
"It was fun," Holmes said. "We were like little kids, saying 'I wish I could get that,' and reminiscing over toys that we used to have when we were kids."
"It was a nice experience," said Matthews. "We had lists for children from low-income families who couldn't afford to get gifts for their children. It showed us how many families there are who are in need at Christmas."
Basketball is a team sport, where the success of the group depends on each player working with the others. The Lady Racers carried their team concept one step further, showing how all people can reach their goals with a little teamwork from their neighbors and community members.
"More than anything, we were seeing the true meaning of Christmas," Fuqua said. "It's about giving, not getting presents. These are kids who aren't able to get much, so I feel good that I was able to give back a little."
