BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Athletics wrapped up another year of making a difference in the community as the 2016 holiday season approaches. Since the United Way Day of Caring on July 27, Hilltopper student-athletes and staff donated their time and services at more than 27 different events across the Bluegrass State.
Some of the highlights from fall semester include Big Red’s Readers, FUNdamentals Clinic, Christmas in Kentucky, Stuff the Bus and more.
Christmas in Kentucky was an outing held at the Kentucky Museum on the Western Kentucky University campus back on December 3. Both men’s and women’s golf as well as soccer and tennis student-athletes helped put on an arts and crafts program for kids while incorporating the holiday spirit with the WKU spirit.
Conference USA and USA Football worked together with WKU Athletics to put on the FUNdamentals Clinic on December 2. Both WKU student-athletes and staff were involved with introducing children to football by teaching basic skills in a fun and energetic environment. All youth participants at the free event received free admission into the C-USA Championship game the following day at the Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium.
WKU Softball continued to impress with its Big Red’s Readers program. The squad visited 13 different area elementary schools this past semester. Big Red's Readers is a donation-driven program that puts stuffed animals into the hands of first and second grade students in the Bowling Green School District. These stuffed animals are given to the students to be used as "reading buddies" throughout the school year. Each child "adopts" their buddy and reads to them for a minimum of 20 minutes each day.
Hilltoppers With Heart, sponsored by Passport Health Plan, was founded in 2011 and is designed to give WKU student-athletes, coaches and staff the unique opportunity to make an impact in the community by volunteering time and talent with numerous organizations including United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs, local schools and many more.
Passport Health Plan is a provider-sponsored, non-profit, community-based Medicaid health plan that has been contracted with Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family Services to administer Medicaid benefits since 1997. Medicaid members can choose Passport to be their health care provider, and as of June 27, 2016, there are nearly 17,000 Passport members living in Region 4, which includes Warren County and the campus of Western Kentucky University.
Some Fall Community Involvement Events
- WKU vs. MTSU Blood Drive
- SAAC Canned Food Drive
- FUNdamentals Clinic C-USA
- Christmas In Kentucky
- YMCA Camp (football)
- Rich Pond Elementary Field Trip
- Warren County Youth Basketball Tryouts
- Stuff the Bus
- Courageous Kids
- Special Olympics (softball)
- Big Red’s Readers
- Hurricane Matthew Relief
- Golf State Championship
- Alzheimer's Walk
- Family Enrichment Center Mud Run
- Light Up Downtown
