Arkansas Tech University is the NCAA Division II Team Works Helper Helper community service champion for 2018.
ATU student-athletes completed 3,535 hours of community work during the three months of the competition. In total, ATU student-athletes have donated more than 5,100 hours of community service since July 1, 2018. Twenty-three local non-profit organizations benefited from the service of Wonder Boys and Golden Suns during the fall 2018 semester.
Every student-athlete at ATU participated in the service, including more than 800 hours volunteering at local elementary schools, mentoring and reading to the students and creating food backpacks.
As a result, Arkansas Tech had the most volunteer service among the more than 300 members of NCAA Division II in the United States and Canada.
According to a news release from the NCAA, NCAA Team Works and Helper Helper launched the community service competition to recognize student-athletes who give back to their communities. NCAA Team Works coordinates community service efforts at NCAA championships, while Helper Helper is a volunteer management and tracking platform.
The competition, which ran from September through November, is based on the number of service hours completed and the number of participating student-athletes.
“The work of the Arkansas Tech student-athletes and coaches is to be commended,” said Dr. Robin E. Bowen, ATU president. “In addition to their studies and their athletic pursuits, these students give numerous hours of service to the local community. I am genuinely appreciative of their efforts to make our community and region a better place.”
