Anaheim, CA -- After being named co-recipients of the 2011-12 Pacific West Conference Community Engagement Award, the Academy of Art University Urban Knights established a goal for this academic year of maintaining relationships with past organizations and events they volunteered at last year. The Knights participated in various types of community service, from health awareness to youth mentorship, and for the second year in a row were named co-recipients of the 2012-13 PacWest Community Engagement Award, which was announced at the PacWest Conference Meetings this past week.
The annual award recognizes outstanding community service and projects performed by a PacWest member's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). A panel reviews the nominations and chooses a winner. While ART U shared the award with Dixie State University last year, their partner this year was Hawaii Pacific University. The universities will each receive a plaque commemorating their selection.
“Being recognized as a co-recipient for the second straight year proves that our athletic department students and staff are dedicated to the San Francisco Bay Area community,” said Director of Athletics Colin Preston. “I want to thank the entire staff and the student-athletes for their hard work that they put in during the 2012-13 academic year, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the organizations and new opportunities to give back this coming year.”
Academy of Art participated in more than 25 events this year, totaling 1,155 hours of community service as a department. The women's soccer team contributed the most hours, with a total of 273 this year, while the men's soccer team came in second place with 189 hours. The athletics department continually stresses the importance of servant leadership to its artist-athletes and coaching staff, and this year showed a great effort serving the community of San Francisco and throughout the ART U campus.
As far as Make-A-Wish Fundraising, ART U SAAC made a triumphant effort in offering enticing and entertaining fundraising events on campus. While they have raised almost double the amount of money from last year, they have also offered fun events on campus to help promote unity and Urban Knights pride throughout the Academy of Art University. Each of the SAAC sponsored events this year were done for the first time and all ended in successful events that they plan on making into traditions on campus at ART U.
HEALTH AWARENESS
September 16, 2012 - Bonnie J. Addario Walk
Teams: Men's Soccer & Tennis
The Knights started off the 2012-13 year participating in the Bonnie J. Addario Walk, at which the ART U assisted in a variety of capacities. Duties varied from marking the 5k course, setting up booth tables, registering participants, and cheering on the runners and walkers. Two of the men's soccer athletes, Runar Gudbjartsson and Jon "Jay" Eldon put their lungs to work and completed the 5k race. This event has close ties to the men's soccer team as one of their teammates passed away last August due to lung cancer.
September 28, 2012 - Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes (American Diabetes Association)
Teams: Baseball, Men's Basketball, Men's Soccer
ART U baseball, men's basketball, and men's soccer participated in the American Diabetes Association: Step Out for Diabetes Walk in which the Urban Knights not only participated in the walk, but helped with registration, set up and clean up and hosted a table educating the participants about our athletic program. This was their second year in a row volunteering at this event, in which they gained a new fan base from the walkers at the Diabetes Walk.
February 15, 2013 - Project Open Hand
Team: Women's Soccer
For the second year in a row, the women's soccer team volunteered at Project Open Hand, a program that provides meals to people living with serious illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and to seniors in the San Francisco and Alameda County.
May 18, 2013 - Arthritis Foundation Walk
Teams: M&W Track & Field, Cross Country, Baseball
The 2012-13 campaign ended with the Urban Knights participating in the Arthritis Walk for the third straight year, at which they helped out in a variety of capacities: setting up booth tables, registering participants, managing the 'Kid Zone' and assisting in break down and clean up.
COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
October 5, 2012 - SF Fleet Week
Team: Softball
In what has now become an annual tradition for San Francisco Fleet Week, the Academy of Art University softball team participated in a friendly competition with many of the country's servicemen and women during this year's festivities. ART U joined members of the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, as well as the San Francisco Police and Fire Departments for the third consecutive October.
December 27, 2012 - Kwanzaa Celebration
Team: Men's Basketball
Hamilton Rec Center, a facility used by both Urban Knights basketball programs, hosted an annual event embracing the African traditions of the holiday season as the Capital Region community comes together for an evening of arts, culture, family, and community spirit. The men's basketball team assisted in set up, decorating, greeting families and serving food.
YOUTH MENTORSHIP
September 22, 2012 - Girls in Sports Fall Extravaganza
Teams: Women's Golf, Softball, Women's Soccer, Women's Basketball
The San Francisco Parks & Recreation Department hosted their annual Tasters Choice Girls in Sports Jamboree for young athletes at Kezar Pavilion. Female artist-athletes from the basketball, golf, soccer and track & field/cross country teams spent the day serving as role models and coaches to the young athletes while encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle. Over 100 local girls participated in mini clinics to learn the fundamentals of sports such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, golf, track and lacrosse.
October 6, 2012 - America SCORES
Team: Men's Soccer
ART U Men's and Women's Soccer collaborated with America SCORES for the first time in our program's history this fall serving as referees at the America SCORES games. America SCORES partners with urban schools to provide a high quality, team-based program that integrates soccer, poetry and service-learning; a perfect fit and opportunity for the Urban Knights to serve as role models and prove to the young generation of “poet athletes” that they can excel in both passions.
October 21, 2012 - Emerson Elementary School Walk-A-Thon
Team: Baseball
ART U Baseball wanted to make an immediate impact on the youth of the community around their home field at Laney College and thought this event located in Oakland was a great opportunity to serve as role models to these young students. The Urban Knights helped marked the course, handed out water to the waters, and cheered on the young students as they conquered the course. Many of the students were not aware of our baseball team, and athletic department as a whole, and even showed up at a baseball game in the spring.
October 27, 2012 - Scaregrove Halloween Carnival (San Francisco Parks and Recreation)
Teams: Men's & Women's Golf, Women's Soccer
For the second consecutive year, Academy of Art assisted in the production of the SF Parks & Recreation Scaregrove, a Halloween festival for kids and families in downtown San Francisco. The Urban Knights participated in face painting, greeting guests, recycling efforts, and assisted with the festival's rides and activities.
November 17, 2012 - San Francisco Parks & Rec Hoops Summit
Teams: Women's Basketball
During their season, the Urban Knights of the women's basketball team found time to help coach a clinic for young females ages 5-11 years old at Hamilton Rec Center, a facility they sometimes practice at. It was a beneficial event for everyone, especially for the women's basketball team, to help give back while promoting Academy of Art University and their season and upcoming games.
December 16, 2012 - San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program
Teams: Men's & Women's Golf
The men's & women's golf teams participated in a new partnership between them and the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program, hosted at the Urban Knights' very own Jerrold Facility (weight room and practice basketball/volleyball court). The Urban Knights joined many other Academy faculty and staff at “Santa's Workshop." The Knights donated their time to help collect, sort, and pack various toys and items to youngsters in every neighborhood across the city of San Francisco.
March 7, 2013 - Boys & Girls Club Buddy Night
Team: Women's Soccer
Each year, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco matches 100 girls with 100 women and 100 boys with 100 men for back-to-back “buddy” events filled with games and prizes, and the Knights went for a "Girls Night Out Buddy Night." The event provided an opportunity for members of the Boys & Girls Clubs to meet members of their community, and for the Urban Knights, a chance to reach out and inspire young people to dream big.
March 9, 2013 - SF Parks & Recreation Summer Resource Fair
Team: Women's Soccer & Volleyball
This was the first time volunteering at the Summer Resource Fair, a free showcase of summer activities for children, youth, and families. The Knights helped set up booths, directed parking, and were part of the meet and greet crew for the more than 3,000 attendees to the event. The events sponsors, which included SFKids.org, the SFUSD, the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, & Their Families, SF Parks & Recreation, and the Mayor's Office, were promoting art programs, theater workshops, sports camps, academic programs, and many more activities.
March 30, 2013 - SF Parks & Recreation Easter Eggstravaganza
Team: Women's Soccer & Softball
The Urban Knights participated in a variety of roles at this event that featured carnival rides and games, egg hunts, live entertainment, and a barbecue competition. Women's soccer freshman Kaiakua "Kapua" Tong had the honor of providing live entertainment while dressed as a gigantic frog. This was the first year that ART U was involved with this specific event, but fortunately, some families who have attended previous events hosted by the SF Parks & Rec recognized the artist-athletes, which helped gain a sense of community between the families of San Francisco and the Urban Knights.
April 26, 2013 - Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative (BAWSI)
Team: Women's Soccer
For the fourth consecutive year, the Urban Knights women's soccer team traveled to Menlo Park and partnered up with the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative (BAWSI) for a day of building up the next generation of female athletes in the Bay Area. BAWSI is a public benefit, nonprofit corporation with a mission to create programs and partnerships through which women athletes bring health, hope and wholeness to the community.
ART U SAAC ON CAMPUS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
August 29, 2012 - ART U Move-In Day
Teams: Volleyball, Men's & Women's Soccer, Men's & Women's Cross Country
In efforts to bridge the social gap on campus, the ART U fall sport teams assisted in MoveIn Day to the incoming freshman. Each Urban Knight wore their team gear and assisted with carrying furniture, clothes, bags, and personal belongings up and down the flights of stairs of our dorms. This was a great opportunity for our artist-athletes to meet the new students, while promoting their team and upcoming season.
September 4, 2012 - Freshman Ice Cream Social
Teams: All sports
During the start of this semester, SAAC hosted our inaugural Freshman Ice Cream Social, open to all incoming freshman and transfers of the ART U Athletics family. After the ice cream was devoured, members of SAAC introduced themselves to the incoming freshman and shared a piece called, “I Wish I Knew Freshman Year…” Wisdom and insight from the upperclassmen included the importance of time management, utilizing the various resources on campus, the power of networking, exploring the city of San Francisco, and how special each artist-athlete is to have the opportunity to make history at the only art university in the NCAA.
September 5, 2012 - Welcome Back Knight
Teams: All sports
This year, Athletics collaborated with Campus Life & Orientation Departments in which they hosted our Orientation night around our Men's Soccer home opener against SF State. Prior to the start of the game, the Urban Knights Athletic Department was announced team by team, informing the crowd of 700+ spectators that the 2012 – 13 academic year marks our first year as NCAA eligible members. Admission was free and open to the public, and members of SAAC were at the entrance collecting donations. Due in part to the energized crowd of Urban Knights, the men's soccer beat SF State 2-1 in the waning seconds of the game.
October 18, 2012 - Gatorade Pong
Teams: All sports
In efforts to celebrate National Alcohol Awareness Week, ART U SAAC hosted the first ever Gatorade Pong at the Brannan Basketball Courts. A total of 32 teams came prepared in costume ready to play and successfully raised $346 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
December 7, 2012 - SAAC Clothing Drive (donations to Larkin Street Youth Services)
Teams: All sports
Last year, SAAC initiated a new tradition within the ART U campus by hosting a clothing drive to accomplish the program's mission statement of "creating relationships between student-athletes and the community by organizing community service efforts and raising funds for various causes.” This year, they doubled in our collections, in which the ART U campus donated over 1,200 items of clothing to Larkin Street Youth Services, a local youth shelter in San Francisco. When they went to drop off clothes, Larkin Street was so grateful for our donations, as they had no men's clothing to give to their youth for the holiday. They were blessed to help make a difference in their lives for the holidays.
February 9, 2013 - Dunk Cancer
Teams: All sports
In efforts to raise funds for Make-A-Wish, SAAC hosted a “Dunk Cancer” themed basketball game when ART U played rival Dominican University. All admissions went directly to Make-A-Wish and they sold “Dunk Cancer” t-shirts for $5. Every student who signed up for the fan bus won a free “Dunk Cancer” t-shirt; it was great looking into the stands and seeing a sea of blue (MAW color) cheering on the Knights while raising awareness for Make-A-Wish Foundation.
April 19, 2013 - Mr. Knight Pageant
Teams: All sports
After learning of Dominican's fundraising success at their Mr. Penguin pageant, the ART U SAAC decided to make our own spin on it; the inaugural Mr. Knight Pageant. They had eight students (seven artist-athletes and one student) nominate themselves to be a candidate in the Mr. Knight Pageant. The categories were: Talent, Best Dressed, Musical Chairs, Q&A and Finger Painting Contest. SAAC invited administration and campus staff to serve as judges in which they had representation from the AD, Associate AD/SWA, FAR, Director of Campus Life and the president of a campus sorority, all serving as judges. The inaugural Mr. Knight winner was sophomore men's basketball player, Aaron Anderson, in which he earned free admission to all SAAC sponsored events, a crown and cape, a DUNK CANCER t-shirt, gift card to Utrecht Art Supplies and a drawing pad. Admissions were $5 in which they raised $305 dollars in just an hour!
May 3, 2013 - Lights Out Dance
Teams: All sports
The final ART U SAAC sponsored event of the year, was its 'Lights Out Dance' party, hosted at the outdoor basketball courts on campus. They had three different student DJ's spin during the night and they charged $5 admissions in which each guest got three glow bracelets. This was a great opportunity to raise funds for MAW, while having a fun time letting loose and dancing before finals began. This was the most successful event in which they raised $505 for the night.
Year Round - Penny Wars
Teams: All sports
For the second year, each team created their own milk gallon to collect money and placed the gallons at the training room, a convenient and popular spot for our artist-athletes to congregate and donate.
