Gamecocks Wrap Up Annual Week of Giving
South Carolina student-athletes have been in the spirit of giving. The Gamecocks took part in the annual Week of Giving with student-athletes from all sports volunteering in the community along with volunteers from ScanSource.
“It’s an annual thing where we want to provide diverse opportunities for the student-athletes to get out into the community,” said Carmen Rollizo, Student-Athlete Development Assistant. “We don’t have a problem getting the student-athletes to sign up. I send them a link and the leaders on the team will get teammates to sign up, and sometimes the whole team will sign up on their own.”
“We have really enjoyed being a part of University of South Carolina Athletics’ Week of Giving over the past several years, and our employees always appreciate the opportunity to volunteer alongside USC’s outstanding student athletes,” said John Harvey, Vice President of Worldwide Human Resources at ScanSource. “ScanSource has historically had a focus on giving back to the communities in which we live and work, and Week of Giving aligns very well with our mission to do just that – providing a fun and engaging way to support the community.”
“I love giving back to the community, and I think that it’s important through athletics that we get this chance,” said junior swimmer Megan Jones. “It’s nice to do something other than swimming to represent the school. Earlier this week, we did yoga with special needs adults and children from the Columbia community. They were laughing and having a lot of fun. It was fund for us to teach something that we’ve learned through athletics and share it.”
“It shows that it’s about more than just sports. It’s our community.”
– Callie Brown, Volleyball
In between classes, practices, games and workouts, the Gamecocks offered their time in a variety of ways in the Columbia community with service ranging from sorting food at Harvest Hope Food Bank, reading to children at Bright Horizons USC Daycare, speaking to groups of students about the importance of academics at local schools, sorting donations at the Salvation Army, packing meals for those in need at Meals on Wheels, taking part in activities with senior citizens at Palmetto Assisted Living, visiting children at a local hospital, and building homes with Habitat for Humanity.
“I was very blessed with my opportunities growing up, so I think it’s important to give back to people who may not have the same opportunities that I do,” said junior swimmer Emily Cornell. “I like working with the community, meeting new people, and seeing what Columbia is about. I spent time at Horizons (USC) Day Care, and I’m going out to an elementary school to talk about the importance of physical activity, schoolwork, and time management.”
“I love volunteering. I went to Nicaragua during my last spring break, and I found that I Iove giving back to the community,” said sophomore equestrian student-athlete Mira Clavecilla. “It’s very rewarding to give back. (Monday) I went to Epworth Children’s Home, and they said we would be teaching self-defense, but the girls there taught us self-defense. It was really cool to interact with them. I helped out the teachers at (Bright) Horizons (USC Daycare), and later I’m going to Harvest Hope.”
South Carolina has led the SEC in community service hours by student-athletes in each of the last five years.
“I think it’s a big part of the culture here,” Rollizo said. “It’s never a one-time thing with them. They like the opportunities where they can do things on a regular basis and really see the people they are helping.”
“It’s definitely something our school prides itself on,” said men’s tennis junior Paul Jubb. “It’s always good to help out where you can, especially when it means helping the less fortunate.”
While the student-athletes are pretty busy with their academic and athletics commitments, finding time to give back isn’t too hard.
“This is a fun way to give back and be with kids,” said Addie Cromer, a sophomore on the equestrian team.
“It shows that it’s about more than just sports. It’s our community. They support us, so we need to be involved and support them,” said senior Callie Brown from the volleyball team.
“First, I love to give back. Second, I love to be with the children,” said Madison Thiel, a senior on the equestrian team. “It’s a really nice break from athletics and school. Just hanging out with the little guys is great. I have some time to do it, so I am. It’s also a stress relief to give back, just being around kids and helping out anyway I can. It’s good karma for sure!”
