Oct. 3, 2007

In an effort to highlight the leadership and good works of the student-athletes in the conference, the ACC SAAC began the SAAC in ACCtion initiative to provide on-line articles about the SAAC programs at the league's 12 member institutions. The goal of this initiative is to shed light on the great things our student-athletes are doing to affect significant positive change on campus and in our communities. Every two weeks, the SAAC leaders from a different school will provide a SAAC in ACCtion update on how their program is getting involved. When reading these articles, we hope that it is evident that their efforts to give back result in so much more.

Mission Statement The mission of the Wake Forest University Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is to serve as a liaison between the student body, faculty, athletic department and student athletes. SAAC seeks to enhance the student athlete experience by providing opportunities while fostering a positive student athlete image as representatives of the University, the ACC and the NCAA.
Wake Forest's SAAC Web Site Senior tennis player Alexandra Hirsch is very active within the Wake Forest SAAC, and took a few minutes to chat with theACC.com about SAAC's initiatives and her experiences. Wake Forest's chapter of SAAC has been very active in providing opportunities and activities for the Demon Deacon and Winston-Salem communities. The student-athletes, who are active in the governance of the committee, serve as leaders for the rest of the student-athletes. They bring in speakers and host programs geared toward student-athletes, get them involved in campus and community activities, and do community service projects. We're a good group of people and we want to do good things for the community. We try to lead our teams individually and the student-athlete body as a whole into getting more involved and doing good for this community - not only Wake Forest, but the Winston-Salem community in general. It's helped me to see what opportunities are out there and to think about other people, not just myself. I've had teammates ask me if they can take my place on SAAC when I graduate this year. It's definitely a privilege and something that other athletes look up to and want to do. -Alex Hirsch Kristina Hanley, Soccer     There are various committees within the Wake Forest SAAC to get programs off the ground each year, particularly the recurring projects. Some of the projects are Project Pumpkin, Santa's Helper, Special Olympics, and Eat With the Deacs. Project Pumpkin is one of the favorites, according to Hirsch. She says, "My team's been bugging me to start it this year!" Of course, her team does not have to wait long, as Halloween is just around the corner. Children from the community are invited to Wake Forest for a campus-wide Halloween Party. The student-athletes help in planning various activities, which include a carnival on the main quad and a residence-hall-turned-haunted-house. Santa's Helper is also a favorite. Every December, Santa and his elves descend upon Winston-Salem at the end of final exam week to deliver presents to under-privileged children in the area. This initiative is a true team effort in the athletics department. Student-athletes, coaches, administrators, staff, and community members get involved in wrapping and delivering thousands of presents around Winston-Salem. The program was founded in 1986 by a former Demon Deacon football player - Chip Rives - and has grown to reach over 300 families. Women's Basketball       Football The Special Olympics spring games are also held each year in Kentner Stadium, and the Demon Deacons assist in running events for these athletes with special needs who visit campus. Eat With the Deacs is a crowd favorite among the children who get to experience it. Local elementary and middle school students have the opportunity to visit campus and spend practice time with their favorite teams, and then are treated to dinner. SAAC is also always looking for new initiatives. Hirsch teamed up with women's tennis head coach Chad Skorupka to organize a volunteer tennis camp last summer for children whose parents serve in the military. About 20 campers came to Wake Forest for the three-day camp, which was free for them thanks to Hirsch's and Skorupka's fund-raising efforts. Each camper had an individual sponsor; the camper was only responsible for learning and having fun. Hirsch hopes for SAAC to play a larger role in next year's tennis camp by sponsoring a camper. She expressed hope that perhaps the camp will take off so much that other sports pick it up. Team-building at the SAAC Retreat In addition to providing numerous services and activities for the larger community, SAAC also seeks to enhance the college experience of its student-athletes. SAAC sponsors various speakers and programs, with topics ranging from career development and financial planning to drug and alcohol use and nutrition. SAAC's efforts certainly do not go unrecognized on campus. It was awarded the Student Government campus award for community service in 2005.