Albany, NY – The Sage Colleges' athletic teams are firm believers that community service is an important part of their collegiate experience.  Athletic Director Sandy Augstein-Collins and The Sage Colleges believe it so much that it is one of the first things that they have asked their varsity teams to do at the beginning of each season. The 2017-2018 event marks the fifth time the Gators have participated in this effort.

Link to album pictures from the project

On Wednesday, September 6, Sage student-athletes gathered at the Kahl Campus Center (Albany, NY) at 9 a.m. and load two vans with back to school supplies for a 9:30 a.m. delivery of the items to the Albany School of Humanities (108 Whitehall Road, Albany, NY 12209). Once at the Albany School of Humanities, members of the fourth grade physical education class led by teacher Leslie Bogucki assisted with unloading of the school supplies they will received from Sage's student-athletes.

Augstein-Collins, 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."

The project at Sage started in the fall of 2013, and since then Sage's teams have continued to collect school supplies to be donated to a local school. This year, Sage donated to the Albany School of Humanities.

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 Patroon Land Farm and the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, 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.