Southland Gives Back: Privateers host book and holiday card drive

Southland Gives Back: Privateers Host Book and Holiday Card Drive

UNO Athletic Department partnered with Ochsner Hospital for Children

NEW ORLEANS – The University of New Orleans Athletic Department and UNO’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) dedicated its service efforts this holiday season to the raising of funds to provide some cheer in the form of creating and delivering holiday cards to go with a large children’s book donation to the brave patients at the Ochsner Hospital for Children.

The New Orleans SAAC agreed on the initiative during October meetings and worked the next couple of months to execute the project. The SAAC reps from each team promoted the good cause throughout their respective programs and oversaw the collection of money from each of their teammates to go towards the purchase of children’s and coloring books for the Ochsner patients.

A few even donated some of their own childhood books to make sure some of their favorite stories were passed on to a new generation. The Privateers added to the cause as student-athletes from all teams designed and wrote messages on holiday cards for the children. In total, UNO decorated more than 160 holiday cards and collected close to 100 books to donate to the children’s hospital.

“All of those kids in hospitals are in need of emotional support and help during a scary time for them,” distance standout and UNO’s SAAC Vice President Arina Kleshchukova said. “I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to make a positive contribution to their lives by distributing some words of kindness! It is very important for me and my team to help children to learn, develop and feel less anxious while being in a hospital and fighting for life. What can be more precious in this world then putting a smile on a kid’s face?”

The delivery of the donation to the Child Life Department at Ochsner Hospital for Children will take place the week before Christmas, as UNO student-athletes and staff will make the trip over to drop off the Christmas supplies to the hospital’s philanthropy department.

“We wanted to raise money for the Children’s Hospital because in a year that has been tough on everyone, it should not be harder for these kids,” Jacob Lamkin, a member of the UNO baseball team and SAAC rep added. “They already have so much going on that our hope was to put a smile on their face and for them to forget about everything for a bit.”

As part of the “Southland Gives Back” initiative, the Southland Conference will profile a community service outing from each of our member institutions this holiday season.

For interested parties, the Ochsner Hospital for Children depends on donations throughout the year to stock the playrooms and to reward their bravest patients. Looking for more information on how to help? Contact the hospital’s philanthropy department at (504)-842-7113 for more info and to schedule a donation drop-off, or visit www.ochsner.org/giving/donate/toy-donations.