You’ve seen these athletes on the field, in the pool or on the court, leading the Wildcats against competition from across the country. But you may not have seen those same athletes out of uniform, giving back to the Northwestern, Evanston and Chicago communities with various philanthropic initiatives and projects. Whether promoting breast cancer awareness, regularly visiting local hospitals or raising money for autism research, Northwestern athletes manage to squeeze community service into their busy schedules. Here’s a closer look at the community efforts of three Northwestern athletic teams.
Women’s Swimming:
While volunteering and giving back to the Northwestern and Evanston communities has always been important to the women’s varsity swim team, this season their philanthropic work is narrowing in on one particular cause – breast cancer awareness.
On Wednesday, Oct. 24, the women’s varsity swim team hosted Breaststroke 4 Breast Cancer, a philanthropy event that invited members of the Northwestern, Evanston and Chicago communities to come and swim in relay races at the Norris Aquatics Center to raise money for local breast cancer research centers. The full amount raised has not been disclosed.
Strong personal ties propelled the planning and coordination for Breaststroke 4 Breast Cancer. Weinberg junior Megan Goss co-planned the event in honor of her mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2011. Goss’ mother has been cancer free for one year.
“It’s a pretty big issue for our team because many people have a tie to breast cancer, and it was moving to see every girl on the team give their support without a second thought,” says Goss. “It’s also nice to have a unifying cause for our team to get behind, especially since we are a women’s team and this is a cause for women specifically.“
Additional support came from the men’s swimming team, who helped on the day of the event by running lanes, selling t-shirts and working admission.
Breaststroke 4 Breast Cancer brought together student athletes, and the Northwestern, Evanston and Chicago communities who came out to swim or watch others take to the pool.
An estimated 150 people swam in the event, which about 100 additional spectators attended. The volunteer swimmers were a part of 20 teams that participated. Teams were made up of student organizations on campus; Chicago swimming groups such as the Chicago Masters Swim Club; and varsity athletic teams such as men’s basketball, men’s swimming, women’s soccer, women’s lacrosse, women’s tennis, field hockey, cross country and softball teams.
“It was nice to see the Northwestern community and Evanston community come together as one for this cause,” says Goss. “We set a goal for how much money we wanted to raise and the fundraiser ended up raising way more than we thought it would...It was great this year, but we know we can make it into something bigger.”
Women’s Basketball:
Raising autism awareness has been a special philanthropic cause for the varsity women’s basketball team for many years, but this season they took the cause even further by hosting a philanthropic event to sponsor autism research and awareness.
On Monday, Oct. 29 the men's and women’s basketball team joined Northwestern’s Autism Speaks U chapter for their Knock Out Autism fundraiser. An estimated 80 students came to show their support by either watching or participating in the competition.
“I hope this can springboard into something we can do every year, because we are proud we have the chance to help,” women's basketball coach Joe McKeown says. “It’s important to have these young people here and make them aware because they are the one who can make a change.”
The promotion of autism awareness and research plays a large role in the lives of Coach McKeown and his family. McKeown has an 18-year-old autistic son. These strong ties to autism led his daughter, junior guard Meghan McKeown, to co-plan the event with a fellow teammate, sophomore forward Alex Cohen.
“It’s something that is important to me and I wanted to bring attention to it here at Northwestern,” McKeown says.
Like McKeown, Cohen also has an autistic brother, Aaron, who is 21 years old.
“A lot of my life is dedicated to my brother and autism,” Cohen says. “And that is why I actively promote raising awareness, teaching and fundraising money for research.”
McKeowen and Cohen, who are members of Northwestern’s Autism Speaks U chapter, developed the idea for the Knock Out Autism fundraiser when the organization's president, Eric Yarnik, approached them about co-sponsoring a philanthropic event.
“This is the biggest event Autism Speaks U has done on campus and we had more people here than we thought we would have,” McKeown says.
While many students came to show their support, fellow athletes were the primary attendees at the combination competition and fundraiser held at the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion. Most of the varsity athletic teams participated in the shooting contest to show their support, including the football team, softball team, women’s swim team and the men’s basketball team. They also helped work admissions during the event.
“Our athletic community is so tight knit, and it’s really great to see the community come together for a common cause,” McKeown says.
In addition to the Knock Out Autism event, the women’s basketball team annually takes part in the Chicago Walk Now for Autism Speaks event in May. The team also hosts an autism awareness game each season, with this season’s game being held on Nov. 25 when the Wildcats take on Loyola.
“For our family it’s a touching cause,” coach McKeown says. “But everyone in a way has been touched by autism, and we should come together and do what we can.”
Football:
When they're not at Ryan Field for early morning workouts or in the library for mandatory study hours, the men of the football team can often be found volunteering in the greater community. As the largest athletic organization on campus, the players are able to extend their philanthropic efforts to support a variety of local and national charities. These organizations and charities include Chicago’s Lurie Children's Hospital, Misericordia, Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation, Uplifting Athletes, the St. Baldrick's Foundation, Coach to Cure MD, Dance Marathon and numerous other causes.
“A big part of our developmental process with our young men is understanding the role that they have in our campus and understanding the role that they have in our community and to give back,” coach Pat Fitzgerald says. “We believe that is very important for our young men not only in their four or five years here but as they move forward in life.”
Coach Fitzgerald has served as a role model for the players by actively engaging in philanthropic work himself. This past spring, Fitzgerald supported the St. Baldrick’s Foundation by shaving his head and encouraging fellow coaches, staff members and his players like quarterback Trevor Siemian to do the same. This was not Fitzgerald’s first effort to show solidarity with kids affected by cancer; he has actively supported this organization for numerous years.
This fall coach Fitzgerald served as the spokesman for Coach to Cure MD Week, making a public service announcement featuring three boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Following in their coach’s footsteps, the players are known for their philanthropic efforts in the community. Senior defensive end Quentin Williams and redshirt freshman quarterback Zack Oliver are known to frequent Chicago’s Lurie Children's Hospital on Fridays before home game days.
“One of the best things I have done and have had the pleasure to be a part of are the Friday visits to the children’s hospital,” Williams says. “That’s been a great experience, just to be there and try and brighten some kid's day who is in there battling, and it’s been rewarding to us and to them.”
Williams and his fellow teammates also actively take part in the nonprofit organization Uplifting Athletes. Participating teams sponsor a charity or cause of their choice by hosting philanthropic events. In honor of former head coach Ara Parseghian, the Wildcats support the awareness and research of Niemann-Pick Disease, type C. In 1994 Parseghian founded the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation, after three of his grandchildren were diagnosed with the disease.
To support this cause, the team has hosted a philanthropic event known as Lift for Life for the past two years. The competition comprises challenges of strength, speed and agility.
“The guys are involved all year round,” Williams says. “It’s really second nature for our guys to be out in the community.”
Because of their philanthropic efforts, a member of the football team has been honored with the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team award each year for the past six years. It's an honor only 11 players from FBS football receive each season.
“I’m very proud of what they do and how they volunteer,” coach Fitzgerald says. “They have a very full plate with being student athletes but to see the way that their generous with their free time is really special and we’re very proud of them. “