There are more than 400 students on campus who want your empties.
Fairfield University’s Student-Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) is sponsoring a can drive and is asking for donations from students, faculty and townspeople. The drive, dubbed “Empties for Africa” will benefit the children at the Baphumelele Children’s Home.
The Baphumelele Children’s Home is an orphanage in Cape Town, South Africa, that houses more than 65 children ranging in age from newborns to 16 year-olds. The home is fully funded by private donations.
“Food is constantly an issue there. Daily items like disposable diapers are a huge need that we can really help out with,” said Jill Macari ’05, the SAAC contact person for this fundraiser. Macari volunteered at the Baphumelele Home in the spring 2004 after fundraising for them in high school.
“My mom got me interested in Baphumelele. She’s a teacher and she got me in there,” Macari said. “While I was there I worked for five months doing various ad hoc activities, changing diapers, etc.”
Macari and SAAC have a bigger aspiration for this year then just diapers.
“One of the main goals is to get Rosie, the woman who runs it, a mode of transportation so she can get the kids to hospitals. A lot of the kids are HIV-plus and need medical treatment,” she said.
SAAC is a group that is made up of two members from every varsity sports team on campus, or three members if one is an AHANA student-athlete. The committee meets once a month. The SAAC constitution lists the purpose to be “to increase recognition of sports in the student body, administration, alumni and community, foster among all student-athletes and address the overall wants and needs of student-athletes.”
Kylin Wentz, a sophomore crew athlete believes SAAC is making great strides.
“All the posters and publicity that are going with this drive will be a great way for students to really see that the athletes here give back to school and care about more than just races and games,” she said.
The “Empties for Africa” may also help make the committee more conspicuous.
“I haven’t ever heard of them but I think this fundraiser is a really nice idea. I’ll definitely save my cans and will be happy to help the sports kids out,” said Gene Travers ’07.
SAAC members from specific teams have been assigned particular residence halls and townhouse blocks that they will collect from on Friday, April 8; Sunday, April 10; Friday, April 15; and Sunday, April 17.
Collections at administrative buildings will be on Monday, April 11 and Monday, April 18.
Leave a Reply