Gamecocks Giving Back in Record Numbers

South Carolina student-athletes are giving back in record numbers. This past summer, the Gamecocks recorded 954 hours of community service work, with a little over 700 of those hours coming in the month of August alone thanks to service projects such as the Gamecock commUNITY shop Donation Drive, Harvest Hope Volunteering by incoming freshmen, visits to Busbee Creative Academy by incoming transfers, and United Way assistance by the South Carolina beach volleyball team.

“More people are understanding the impact we can have as student-athletes here and how much of a difference we can make in the community,” said fifth-year senior women’s soccer student-athlete Taylor Fox, who is the Vice President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and leads the community service committee. “We are more blessed than some people realize, and we need to use our gifts out there.”

South Carolina Assistant Director for Student-Athlete Development Leah Lot noted that community service hours declined during the pandemic, but they have been steadily on the rise, more than doubling since the 2020-2021 school year to the last school year when the Gamecocks posted 4,460 hours in the community.

“This is due to student-athletes understanding of the importance of serving and having a variety of options being available to them,” Lott said. “We have student-athletes on teams that encourage their teammates to serve. They have set team goals such as one service project each semester, or one service project a month during the off-season.”

On August 23, 108 South Carolina student-athletes came together to donate non-perishable food, school supplies, and toiletry items to the Gamecock Community Shop. Student-athletes were also involved with community service efforts at The Therapy Place, Generation Gamecock Middle School Mentoring Partnership, Prisma Health Children’s Hospital, and the United Way. They are also working on a partnership with the Richland County Recreation Commission and their Recreation Leagues.

“I really enjoy working with The Therapy Place,” Fox said. “It started as an NIL deal, and it’s now a lasting relationship. It’s a therapy place for elementary school kids with all kinds of life-altering conditions. We can go there and make them smile or laugh and help out with different stations, such as art and drama, or we can go out on the playground and play with them.”

“We share these service events monthly, so that students are given a variety of options that fit their schedules,” Lott said. “We have implemented a goal of having every student-athlete service at least one hour each year. However, we have student-athletes who are eager to continue serving all year long, even while in season.”

From May 6 through August 30, the Gamecock equestrian team led the way with 235.5 hours of service, while the football team added 172 hours, and beach volleyball rounded out the top three teams with 93 hours. Individually, sophomore men’s tennis student-athlete Jelani Sarr led the Gamecocks with 31 hours of service for the summer, followed by junior Makayla Grant from track and field with 27.5 hours, and junior equestrian Ruby Voortmeyer contributed 21.5 hours.

“I love it,” Fox said. “It just makes me happy knowing that I’m making an impact on them. Just seeing kids smile, makes me smile.”