POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Marist athletes had a chance to say thank you and give back to the community for the 23rd consecutive year with the annual holiday Giving Tree. Teams such as women's tennis, women's basketball, women's lacrosse, men's basketball and men's track and field, as well as the Campus Ministry and other students, faculty and staff, provided 821 presents to families in need from around the Poughkeepsie area during a candlelight ceremony at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel on Wednesday, Dec. 9.
Each year, around Thanksgiving, trees across campus are decorated with paper ornaments. Each ornament had the holiday wishes of children as well as adults, from books and video games to dolls and board games and dishware and clothing. Members of the Marist community then chose which holiday wish(s) they wanted to make happen and purchased the gifts before presenting them during the ceremony.
The women's basketball team purchased an Ipod Touch, an MP3 player and sneakers. Women's tennis gave a toaster as well as some dishes, while women's lacrosse, men's track and field and men's basketball each provided a children's bicycle.
“The Giving Tree program is a special opportunity for our students, in particular, to honor the tradition of service to others that was a core principle of the college's Marist Brother founders,” said Brother Frank Kelly, F.M.S., director of Campus Ministry. “I know that our students feel honored to be able to help their neighbors and are enriched by the experience.”
Check out some photos from the event. http://on.fb.me/1U7hpRq
