Kats make donation to Ronald McDonald House
10/16/2017 3:31:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
HOUSTON – Sam Houston State volleyball picked up a thrilling victory last Thursday night at Houston Baptist. The most important win, however, came earlier in the day across town.
The program represented Sam Houston athletics, the Southland Conference and other area institutions, delivering more than 700 pounds of pop tabs to the Ronald McDonald House at M.D. Anderson Hospital to support the facility in its care for seriously ill children and their families.
The trip is the second for the volleyball program, and first since 2012 for the team. The Pop Tab Collection program uses little tabs from soda, soups and other aluminum cans to generate funds from the aluminum gems to help offset the House's expenses.
“Being a cancer survivor and being there at the Ronald McDonald House puts things in perspective,” head coach Brenda Gray said. “It's something we are excited to do and represent our university and the whole conference for such a good cause.”
The drive is put on each year by the Sam Houston Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is just one of several community services projects, including an annual school supply drive, the group undertakes to help children in Huntsville and the Greater Houston area.
“We started this program in 1997,” Chris Thompson, associate athletic director for student services, said. “Each team tries to collect the most pop tabs. It is really special for volleyball to deliver those because you have a chance to tour the facility and meet the families and children who do receive the benefit. It represents our foundation here at Sam Houston and being able to give back to others.”
This year, the team had a chance to see the on-going expansion of its 50-bedroom facility, the Holcombe House, which broke ground on Sept. 12. That included the first phase of the three-phase project which is the building of a new 20-bedroom tower adjacent to the House.
“We just kept so caught up in our daily struggles that we forget families are fighting for their and their children's lives,” player and SAAC representative Jordyn Vaughn said. “Donating that much makes a difference in their lives. It feels good. To represent SAAC and be a part of it is special.”
SAAC is comprised of a student representative from each sport, coaches and administrators. The group is dedicated to providing the opportunity for student-athletes to have a quality academic and athletic experience that will culminate in graduation from Sam Houston.
