Albany, NY – The Sage Colleges' athletic teams are firm believers that community service is an important part of their collegiate experience.  Athletic Director Dani Drews and The Sage Colleges believe it so much that it is one of the first things that they have asked their 15 varsity teams to do at the beginning of each season. The 2016-2017 event marks the fourth time the Gators have participated in this effort.

Drews, who directs the Sage Department of Athletics and Recreation, said "We believe that teamwork is the best way to ensure that everyone succeeds. So, we have asked that our Gators give a little bit of their time and effort to help some of children in our community have a great year."

Sage women's volleyball senior Rachel Liebig (Hartford, NY/Hartford) noted, "I was raised to take pride in my academics, but it would have been difficult to grow up that way without having all of the supplies I needed." She added, "I am glad we can contribute to local children's learning experiences by doing something as simple as donating school supplies."

Gator men's basketball player, senior Marcus Patterson (Bronx, NY / Mount Saint Michael Academy) commented, "I'm grateful for giving back to the community, especially regarding school supplies." Paterson continued, "Where I come from it can be limited. So it makes me happy knowing that someone else will need and use it for the greater good."

In the fall of 2013, Drews suggested to the Sage student-athletes that when they reported to campus for their preseason camps in both Albany and Troy, that each student-athlete bring with them a shoe box filled with school supplies to be donated to a local school. Drews added, "I saw an article about the Baldwin Wallace University football team doing a similar project and thought that this was definitely something I'd like us to do at Sage. All of us have had help along the way to go to Sage. It's important for us to pay it forward," Drews noted.

Sage selected the Carroll Hill Elementary School in Troy as the recipient of our annual School Supply Drive. 

On Wednesday, August 31 Sage student-athletes gathered at the Kahl Campus Center (Albany, NY) and loaded two vans with back to school supplies for a delivery of the items to the school located at 112 Delaware Avenue in Troy.

Sage women's basketball player, senior Frankie Pearson (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central) noted, "Growing up, the importance of education was always drilled in our minds, just as the importance of a good education is stressed here at Sage." Pearson continued, "Having notebooks, pencils and tools to take notes and be organized is the first step to being on top of things in school. That's why I'm proud of Sage for running the shoe box drive for kids in the community."

With this new community service project the list of activities Sage's student-athletes have participated in the area communities continues to grow. Over the last few years, Sage student-athletes have held a food drive for the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, participated this past spring in the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Project, as well as the MS Walk, Chompers' Reading program, and Toys for Tots. Sage's student-athletes have also volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House preparing meals, while one team also performed community service at the Albany Rescue Mission; while another group helped to decorate the pediatric wing at Albany Medical Center and one team participated in a community service project preparing breakfast for residents of the Waldorf Residence in Albany.