The William Paterson Athletic Department kicked off the university’s efforts to raise money for the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund on Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Pioneers basketball doubleheader against Rutgers-Camden in accompany to its annual “Take a Kid to the Game Day” and “National Girls and Women in Sports Day.”
Donation efforts, which involved coin-drop cans in lieu of admission charges, was just the beginning of a successful day for the Pioneers.
With an attendance of over 200 people including numerous kids cheering in the stands, the #21 ranked men’s basketball team entered the locker room with a 29-14 lead over the Scarlet Raptors. At that point all members of the women athletic teams took center court to be recognized for the annual “National Girls and Women in Sports Day”- a day to honor the successes, the influences of participation, and the ongoing efforts for equality and access for women in sports. At 2 p.m. a video was shown in the Recreation Auxiliary Room regarding Title IX. Each of the first 150 girls present at the video received a gray t-shirt featuring this year’s NGWSD theme, “Stay Strong, Play On.”
As the men’s team retook the court, they cruised on to a 57-44 win, extending their school record win streak to 16. A dominant performance by the #9/11 ranked ladies team followed as they crushed the Scarlet Raptors 90-42.
The day concluded with a free basketball clinic offered to kids of all ages and abilities.
The endeavor to raise money for those affected by the earthquakes in Haiti at the basketball games is only the start of fundraisers that will be held around campus.
According to Heather Brocious, the WPU Sports Information Director, those cans from the games on Saturday will be given to Nate Agosto from Tau Kappa Epsilon, who is coordinating the collection of cans around campus. Brocious also added that the other current effort is a bottled water drive being coordinated by Campus Police.
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