Photo Gallery (images by Meg Williams)

San Francisco, CA -- The Urban Knights continued their outstanding year of community service with their participation in the 2012 Let's Move Together Arthritis Walk on May 5th. The Academy of Art University athletic department showed up in force at Crissy Field, and were essential in the efforts that raised over $100,000 for the Arthritis Foundation.

"This was my first time ever going to an arthritis walk, and after setting up, it was surprising to see how many people turned out," said Melissa Cheng, the setter for the volleyball team. "The volleyball ball team set up the 'Kid Zone,' so I got to spend time with a lot of the kids. While I was helping setting up the 'Kid Zone,' there was a box of toys that I used to remember playing with when I was kid. Chinese finger traps, kaleidoscopes, big lip kazoos, tiny parachute men and bubbles. It was a lot of fun, and it brought me back to my childhood."

The Arthritis Foundation is the leading health organization addressing the needs of 50 million Americans living with arthritis, the nation's most common cause of disability.The mission of the Foundation is to improve lives through leadership in the prevention, control and cure of arthritis and related diseases. The Arthritis Walk is part of an effort to encourage people to move daily for better health to prevent or treat arthritis.

"For me, the experience was great because I felt like I was doing something that not only allowed me to help out a cause but also to help real people," said freshman men's basketball player Aaron Anderson. "Any chance I get to help anyone, I will always go out of my way to do that. When people come together for a greater purpose to help others, there is a sense of peace and love. At the end of the day that is all that matters."

The Urban Knights helped out in a variety of capacities, setting up booth tables, registering participants, and even playing games with the children. Before any of the participants, sponsors and even the sun had arrived, the Knights were helping to set up the event. Tents, tables, and chairs all need organizing and the ART U athletes were among the volunteers that took care of all that. After their work setting up, the Knights were part of the face of the event, welcoming participants and sponsors to the walk.
"Helping out at this event, it felt really good going up to the people in charge and wanting a task to take care of," said men's soccer player Andrew Durano. "All the way up to the start of the walk there was something that needed to be done. It felt pretty good seeing the event and knowing that it's running smoothly because of your help. You never know when one of the big sponsors or companies that were in attendance might think about supporting Academy of Art Athletics so it was nice letting them know who I was and which program I was representing, and that's the Urban Knights!"

The Knights' athletic seasons may be over, but their service in the community continues on in their most active year in program history. The presence of the Urban Knights on the local scene is a testament to the mission of being exceptional on the court and off the court, and as Academy of Art continues to grow within the community, the extent of service and outreach will grow as well.