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NCAA News Release
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NCAA Division II Institutions Join Habitat For Humanity� To Build Home For A Hurricane-Affected Area Of The Gulf Coast
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For Immediate Release
Tuesday, March 7, 2006
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Contact(s)
Kent Barrett
Associate Director of Public and Media Relations
317/917-6117
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INDIANAPOLIS---Volunteers from the NCAA National Office and Division II institutions joined Habitat for Humanity� to construct a home for the Gulf Coast in conjunction with the Division II Swimming and Diving Championships this week in Indianapolis.
The home is an Operation Home Delivery "Habitat home in a box," which was fully framed on the University of Indianapolis campus and will be shipped to a location on the Gulf Coast for final construction. Construction of the home took about four hours on Tuesday, March 7. The championships are Wednesday-Saturday, March 8-11.
The partnership and lead gift from Division II represent more than a monetary donation, according to NCAA Division II Vice President Mike Racy, they also represent a valuable volunteer opportunity for student-athletes.
"The student-athlete experience is about more than academic achievement and athletic excellence, it is also about preparing student-athletes to be ready for challenges down the road," Racy said."Servant leadership and community involvement are important parts of the Division II student-athlete experience, and we are excited that Division II student-athletes from six different schools are able to be part of this important project."
Among the volunteers for this week�s build were Dr. Charles Ambrose, president of Pfeiffer University and chair of the Division II Presidents Council, and two student-athletes from his institution.
"The Division II response to the hurricanes� aftermath though Habitat for Humanity is reflective of our membership's engagementand service to the communities we serve," Ambrose said."We are fortunate to actively participate in the support of rebuilding the Gulf Coast and look forward to involving DII student-athletes with Habitat for Humanity throughout the coming year."
The project is the latest development in the "Home Team" partnership between Habitat for Humanity� and the NCAA that began in September with a $1 million lead gift from Division II and a $500,000 matching gift from the national office. The partnership will provide donations through additional fundraising and volunteers for the long-term rebuilding effort on the Gulf Coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
A similar "Habitat home in a box" build occurred in Chattanooga, Tenn., at the Division I-AA Football Championships in December. An additional build will be held in conjunction with the Final Four, April 1-3 in Indianapolis.
In addition to Ambrose, volunteers include: student-athletes Joy Nicole Prim and Patrick Daniel Faulhaber, Pfeiffer University; President Margaret Fitzpatrick and student-athletes James Tedesco and Erika Ostrove, St. Thomas Aquinas College; Jill Willson, director of athletics, and student-athletes Heidi Schoepner and D.R. Coleman, Texas A&M University-Kingsville; Paul Engelmann, faculty athletics representative, and student-athletes Katie Tarka and Matt Merrigan, Central Missouri State University; Chancellor Kathryn Martin and student-athletes Allison Boddy and Andrew Heieie, University of Minnesota Duluth, and President Beverley Pitts, Sue Willey, director of athletics, Larry Sondhaus, faculty athletics representative, and student-athletes Eileen Patton, Drew Hastings, Jenna Brown and Danielle Melone, University of Indianapolis.
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