In high school athletics, victory isn’t only measured by points on the scoreboard, it’s also found in the impact student-athletes make off the court.
To mark Hunger Action Month, the Jamesville-DeWitt Varsity Girls Tennis team recently joined forces with neighboring Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) to host a joint food drive benefiting the Food Bank of Central New York.
The initiative was spearheaded by J-D Varsity Girls Tennis Head Coach Yong Sul, who believes strongly in cultivating leadership and community engagement within his athletic programs.
“I strongly feel that the varsity athletes here at J-D should perform some sort of community service and outreach, and I try to have the captains of my teams do as much of the legwork as possible,” said Coach Sul.
The idea for this year’s service project took shape over the summer after he saw local news segments highlighting the vital work of the Food Bank of CNY.
“A representative from their organization talked about their impact to the community and the increased need for food and funding this fall because of rising costs across the board, especially for families in need,” Coach Sul explained. “It seemed timely for the J-D Varsity Girls Tennis team to do an outreach for the Food Bank during Hunger Action Month to raise awareness.”
Community service is a tradition within the J-D tennis program. In past years, the boys varsity team has participated in the spring OCCRA Earth Day cleanup near the high school, while the girls team previously raised funds for Helping Hounds Dog Rescue.
To maximize their impact for this project, J-D teamed up with district neighbor CBA, to gather non-perishable items and essential goods. The joint collection brought in 155 pounds of food donations.
“We are so thrilled and proud of the team for making such a difference in our community. It’s so important to help out when you have the ability to do so, and it’s always an honor to be able to give back as a team,” shared senior Co-Captains Kavya Arasu and Yara Farah.
Food Bank of CNY volunteers sorted the donations just a few days later.
“We are so grateful to have partners in our community like Coach Yong and the members of the J-D and CBA tennis teams to help us provide food in our community to children, families, and seniors facing hunger,” said Food Bank of CNY Chief Advancement Officer Lynn Hy.
Building on the success of this year’s food drive, Coach Sul hopes to expand the project into an annual tradition across all of the buildings in the district.