The Monmouth College community stepped up to the plate when called last week as part of the Fighting Scots’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s (SAAC) philanthropy projects during the holiday season.
Just a week after SAAC delivered more than 1,400 canned goods to Monmouth’s Jamieson Community Center food pantry, the student-run group sponsored their annual Angel Tree project, benefiting the area’s special needs residents. With less than 12 hours left before last Thursday’s donation deadline, there were still angels left on the tree, prompting a plea from SAAC co-advisor and women’s lacrosse coach Izzy Demara. Just an hour later, more enough donations had come in to fill the angel’s stockings. The surplus in monetary donations allowed SAAC to make another donation to the Jamieson Center.
“The generosity of the campus community was overwhelming,” said Demara. “When we announced we still had a few angels without gifts, the response was instantaneous. The success of the Angel Tree and the canned goods drive is a direct reflection of the caring people we have at Monmouth.”
With last Friday’s delivery date falling at the beginning of winter break, the college’s coaches went to bat for their student-athletes, delivering the angel tree items in their absence.
The Monmouth College SAAC Angel tree program was originally instituted in 2009. After a brief hiatus the program was restarted in 2016.
