'Cats Give Back

The mission of the Northwestern Athletics Community Relations Department is to enhance the overall educational experience of our student-athletes while also connecting with and contributing to the Evanston and Chicagoland communities through service-oriented and philanthropic activities.

The Northwestern University Department of Athletics welcomes opportunities for its student-athletes to venture into the community. Read about some of the activities our student-athletes have participated in below! If you would like to have Wildcat athletes come to your school, hospital or a specific function, please fill out our Promotional Activities Form!

This page features past community efforts of our student-athletes. For more recent community activities, visit our Community Service Blog.

For the third-consecutive year, Northwestern women's basketball will participate in the Walk Now for Autism Speaks, this year taking place on Saturday, May 21, at Soldier Field. Head Coach Joe McKeown will once again be a featured speaker at this year's opening ceremonies which begins at 9:30 a.m.

The 5K walk gets underway at 10:30 a.m. and will head north around Shedd Aquarium before turning around at Monroe Harbor. Walkers will pass the Field Museum before ending at Soldier Field. The team will have a station at the after party where fans will have the chance to shoot hoops and interact with the Wildcats.

McKeown has supported Autism Speaks in the past because of his son, Joey, who has autism.

Members of Northwestern's men's basketball, women's soccer, field hockey, women's fencing and football teams participated in the annual NU Relay for Life event to benefit the American Cancer Society on May 13-14.

Bill Carmody speaks at the Relay.

Friday's opening ceremonies included a game of knock-out with members of the Wildcat men's basketball team that individuals could participate in for a $1 donation.

Head men's basketball coach Bill Carmody also addressed the nearly 700 students who attended the Relay at the outset of the event.

All told, the even raised $137,086 for the American Cancer Society, $20,000 more than in 2010.

Donations are expected to continue to roll in until August.

Northwestern Athletics hosted the sixth grade from Virginia Lake Public Schools to experience a day in the life of a college athlete.

Football players visit with Virginia Lake sixth graders

The group got a glimpse of the Trienens indoor football facility, with a visit from a few members of the football team. Before playing a game of Knock Out in Welsh-Ryan Arena, the sixth graders heard from Northwestern Women's Basketball coach, Joe McKeown about the importance of good grades and working hard.

The students also heard from an academic advisor on what it takes to do well in school academically and athletically.

The tour concluded with a quick stop in the Athletic Training Room to see all of the equipment that the student-athletes use to keep their bodies in the best possible shape.

"My students really enjoyed the tour, meeting athletes and staff, and learning about what being a college student is all about," said sixth-grade teacher Karen Francis. "When we discuss it in an elementary building they feel so far removed from college. Yesterday put them right in the center of it and that is an invaluable experience for each of them."

Northwestern men's soccer hosted a free skills clinic in its continued partnership with Evanston AYSO on Saturday, April 9.

Willie visits with the Wee Wildcats

Nearly 200 boys and girls from around the area in the 8th grade or younger took part in the successful event, and even Willie the Wildcat made a special guest appearance at the end for the participants.

After learning new skills and fundamentals, the Wee Wildcats were able to scrimmage against each other and play classic soccer games like "Sharks and Minnows" and "Crab Soccer."

"We had a fantastic time today teaching our Wee Wildcats new soccer skills," said Northwestern head coach Tim Lenahan. "Our partnership with Evanston AYSO is an integral part of the Northwestern men's soccer program and we look forward to continuing this special relationship."

Read more about the Wee Wildcats Clinic at NUsports.com.

In connection with National Student-Athlete Day, Northwestern student-athletes visited four local schools on April 6, expanding on the community service they perform on a weekly basis. Wildcat student-athletes representing seven sports talked to nearly 1,000 elementary and junior high students, addressing the balance of athletics and academics at the college level, as well as the transition from eighth grade to high school, and the importance of extracurricular activities.

"When talking to younger kids about your college experience it opens my eyes to the special opportunity I have playing basketball and to be getting an world-class education here at Northwestern," sophomore women's basketball player Kendall Hackney said. "It's a blessing to show them how sports can open doors to other opportunities that may not have been there before."

Read more about NU's National Student-Athlete Day celebration at NUsports.com.

On Friday, February 25th, five members of the Northwestern Men's Soccer Team volunteered their time and soccer expertise at Chicago Indoor Sports with Urban Initiatives. The players were led by Assistant Coach Neil Jones and helped to lead warm-ups, officiate and coach some of the games.

The kids from Attucks, Daley and Jenner were thrilled to have such terrific athletes working with on their skills. The Northwestern players were very enthusiastic about the experience. "Their excitement and love for the game was obvious and it definitely rubbed off on all the kids," stated Coach Tom, Urban Initiatives Program Associate. We are grateful that these student-athletes took a break from their busy schedules to give back to the community. A fourth-grade participant from Daley, Gabriel, said, "I can't wait to show my friends the warm ups I learned!'

The Northwestern football team, for the third year in a row, took part, in the St. Bladrick's event.

Three of the many 'Cats who participated in the event

The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

Over 30 Northwestern players, coaches and staff shaved their heads to build awareness and raise funds for this organization.

"Everyone, unfortunately, in one way or another has been impacted by cancer," head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "Kids are effected by cancer and they don't have a choice. We came across Saint Baldrick's because one of our family members here at Northwestern had a child that was in a battle with cancer. We researched it and we think it's a great cause to give back to. We try to raise funds and spread awareness of pediatric cancer."

Read more about the event at NUsports.com.

Northwestern's Football team and Men's Basketball team represented athletics at the Annual Northwestern Dance Marathon on Saturday, March 5. Both teams led dances and cheers while helping to energize those who had been dancing for nearly 24 hours and had more dancing to do! The Dance Marathon raised over a $1 million for the Children's Heart Foundation -- an all-time record for the event.

Northwestern student-athletes, representing various sports, attended the annual Read Across America Day at Central Elementary School in Des Plaines.

'Cats read to local elementary school students

After an all-school assembly where each guest reader was introduced, the student-athletes went with their respective classes to read a book of their choice, most being Dr. Seuss themed.

Now in its 13th year, this year-round program focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources. Read Across America Day, NEA's national reading celebration takes place each year on or near March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participate by bringing together kids, teens, and books, and you can too!

Abby Tracey (Cross Country), Allegra Mayer (Cross Country), Kendrick Mooney (Fencing), Dannielle Diamante (Basketball), and Sabel Moffet (Volleyball) all read their favorite Dr. Suess book to kids in 4th and 5th grade. After reading, the student-athletes visited with the students and answered questions ranging from "what's your favorite book?" to "how tall are you" to "what's your favorite sports team?".

Northwestern men's Basketball team hosted 10 kids at practice on Tuesday, Feb. 15, then two days later the same kids were welcomed to the Wildcats' game against Iowa.

NU Men's Basketball with kids from the Children's Heart Foundation

One of the children acted as an honorary captain and all of the kids participated in gameday events such as the timeout dance contest. It was all to support Northwestern's upcoming Dance Marathon, which hopes to raise at least $800,000 to benefit the Children's Heart Foundation.

"It's a blast," John Shurna said. "Working with little kids is great. Seeing them smile and having fun and playing with them, it's worth a lot."

In addition to hosting Tuesday's event, coach Bill Carmody pledged to donate $1,000 to the Dance Marathon student group that brought the most members to NU's game against Iowa at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Carmody's donation will be added to the group's DM contribution to CHF.

"I've had someone that I know who's had a heart defect," Carmody said. "So it just hit me. It's a great cause, and when you see those little faces out there and those smiles and they just light up, it makes you feel good."

OLPHZone is a father/son sports competition held by Our Lady of Perpetual Help, alma mater of NU offensive lineman Brian Mulroe.

Brian Mulroe signs t-shirts at OLPHZone

Mulroe, Dan Persa, Ben Burkett, Steve Flaherty, Brandon Vitabile, Trevor Seimien, Sean McEvily and Al Netter all attended the event. They signed t-shirts, interacted with the kids and the dads and even had some fun of their own in the obstacle course and playing some basketball.

"Those boys are something special," said event coordinator Jennifer Thein. "They were so nice to all of the kids who showed up at the event. The best part about it was that the players who came asked every kid their name, they shook hands with the dads and they paid me endless compliments about the event. They went out into the crowds shooting free throws with the kids and heaving themselves through the obstacle course. The kids went wild!

"During a moment of downtime they asked me how long it took to plan and how they would have loved spending time with their dads. They made the kids feel good and blew me away with their manners! Clearly they have learned a lot more than football at NU. It was a real pleasure to have them and I hope that OLPH can crank out some more o-linemen for you in the future."

Motivated to create a school-specific action plan for promoting wellness and preventing substance abuse among student-athletes, members of the Northwestern Athletics community traveled to Austin, Texas, to represent NU in the 20th annual APPLE Conference.

Northwestern's 2011 APPLE Conference contingent

Representing Northwestern student-athletes at the 2010 conference were sophomore Angie Henry and junior Rachel Kaminski of cross country, sophomore Nick Gendron and junior Peter O'Neill of men's soccer and junior Kaylee Pohlmeyer of field hockey and academic advisor, Davon Robb.

"I didn't think it was possible, but I learned even more this year, which truly says a lot about the conference and the way it's coordinated. Our team plans on working together throughout the year in order to set our action plan into motion. We are really grateful to have been a part of the experience," Kaminski said.

For more information on Northwestern and the 2011 APPLE Conference, click here to visit a full release at NUsports.com

The Northwestern softball team invited local teams and individuals to an indoor Saturday morning practice on January 29, 2011.

Post-open practice autograph session

The team ran a regular practice on the turf field of Trienens Hall with fielding and batting practice. While working out, the Wildcats mixed in some drill suggestions and interaction with the viewers. The Wildcats then had a question and answer session following their workout with the coaches and teams that attended. The open practice concept is an annual event for Northwestern softball prior to the start of their spring season.

Bill Jones, who is a coach with local softball club Rebel Fastpitch, said: "First let me say these type of events really pump these girls up. I can see from the faces in the photos how thrilled these girls are just to be standing next to the players. What a difference Northwestern has made in their lives today. Thanks to everyone involved!"

Northwestern's men's and women's soccer and lacrosse teams participated in the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's (MSKCC) Cycle for Survival on Saturday, Feb. 5.

Northwestern men's soccer participates in Cycle For Survival

The event is an indoor team spinning/cycling fundraiser at Equinox (200 W. Monroe) in Chicago. All of the funds raised through Cycle for Survival go directly to cancer research, with a particular focus on rare cancers.

"This is a very special fundraising effort in that it involves one of our own," Northwestern head men's soccer coach Tim Lenahan said. "Dave Linn, a former soccer player at Northwestern and his wife, Jennifer, have created a great event out of her struggles with cancer. This year, the Northwestern women's soccer and lacrosse teams will be participating as well. The energy of the event is fantastic with other Northwestern alums, cyclists and local celebrities. It is a great feeling to be able as a team to participate in such a worthy cause and in the end feel great as a group about our efforts."

For more information on Northwestern's participation in Cycle for Survival, click here.

Northwestern student-athletes make a weekly visit to Edison Elementary to answer questions including, but hardly limited to: their sport, position they play, fastest pitch, quickest 40-yard dash, favorite athletes, favorite movies and how it is living so far away from their parents.

NU student-athletes at Edison Elementary

After some time in the classroom, everyone, with student-athletes leading the way, take time to play while incorporating skills lessons and sport specific tips for the active fifth-graders. Many of the fifth grade students echo the sentiment that "I can't wait for Fridays now! It's so fun to get to meet and play with the athletes."

Nick Friar, a freshman Wildcat baseball player said, "It's nice to be able to share experiences with the children. They see us in positions they hope to be in some day, and it's cool to meet kids that appreciate the goals you've accomplished. I think they learned a lot about what to prioritize in life. (Football players) Will (Hampton), Davion (Fleming) and I put a lot of stress on the importance of school and hard work in the classroom, and the field as well. I also was able to express the importance of family to them, which I feel strongly about, and I think it's hard for kids to fully understand the importance of family at that age, so hopefully they were able to grasp that concept."

"The presence of positive role models has motivated our students in ways we never imagined," said Maggie Lutz, student support coordinator at Edison Elementary. "Kids are starting to see that their academic behavior is linked to their success as athletes. They are beginning to learn that being an athlete is more than just having the physical ability...it's about determination, motivation and hard work."

Every Friday in the winter and spring, Wildcat Student-Athletes visit the Physical Education classes at Orrington Elementary in Evanston. The athletes help lead drills and games with the students and assist in many ways, including but hardly limited to spreading their positive energy and knowledge of various sports.

Northwestern Football players teamed up with Lincolnwood for their annual Family Food night at Haven Middle School. The players provided energy and excitement to kick off the eventful night of families, food and fun open to all Lincolnwood families. Jennifer Pasek, the organizer said, "All of the players were so nice and were a huge hit with the kids and the parents!"