May 25, 2005

Columbia, SC–Continuing its fine work in the community, Team Gamecocks produced record numbers in community service during the 2004-05 school year. University of South Carolina student-athletes and coaches participated in 3,407 hours of community service. All told, since 2003, USC has participated in more than 9,300 hours of community service. In addition this past year, USC student-athletes also participated in 2,682 hours of personal development. Personal development includes leadership courses, career development, media training, wellness programs, alcohol and drug awareness training, financial management tips and campus safety courses.

During the year, student-athletes, coaches and staff participated in over 160 different outreach events. The programs Team Gamecocks participated in included: Rolling Readers, United Way Family Service Center, Richland County Public Library, Camp Kemo, The Animal Protection League, Harvest Hope Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army-kitchen, Communities in Schools Volunteer Mentoring, Home Works of SC, Children’s CHANCE, Ronald McDonald House, Coaches vs. Cancer, Meals on Wheels, Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital, Special Olympics, Relay for Life and many more!

“Community service and personal development are two of our core building blocks in the development of the Carolina student-athletes,” said Director of Athletics Dr. Mike McGee. “We are pleased to see student-athletes being active members of the community and lending a helping hand.”

Other highlights included: Holly Hodges, a senior diver, won the $5,000 Southeastern Conference Post-Graduate Community Service Scholarhip. It is the second year in a row a Gamecock student-athlete has won this prestigious award as basketball captain Mike Boynton, Jr. won the award last year.

• Preston Thorne, a senior football player, was the winner of a $2,000 post-graduate scholarship for outstanding community service from the SEC.
• The Carolina Volleyball Team was the winner of the Team Community Service Award. They averaged 30 hours per teammate for the year.

Every year, student athletes from different athletic teams coordinate team projects by taking responsibility to serve as goodwill ambassadors not only for their respective programs, but also for the Athletics Department and the University of South Carolina as a whole. In addition, a number of student athletes elect to perform individual community service hours in a variety of areas.

The University of South Carolina Athletics Department is committed to providing volunteer opportunities for student athletes to connect with people in the surrounding community. The greater Columbia community is invited to utilize members of Team Gamecocks to serve as role models and willing volunteers.

For more information on Team Gamecocks, please visit their website at uscsports.com or call (803) 777-9913.