WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue track and field teams, partnered with New Community School, participated in their third annual Christmas giving event on Sunday. The Boilermakers sponsored five families this year, up from two in 2012 and four in 2013.
Head coach Lonnie Greene is a firm believer in giving back to the community and bestowing blessings upon those who need them most, especially around the holidays. As such, he asked each member of his teams to donate $10 to the cause, while the coaches also chipped in funds. In all, the team and teachers from New Community School raised nearly $3,000 and were able to provide a Christmas meal and presents for the five families.
"I tell our team about our vision for this project every year," said Greene. "They really took it and ran. They wanted to see this project bless someone and for the project to grow. This is something you could see the team take pride in by how much money they raised and down to the detail of how they wrapped the gifts. I'm proud of our kids. I thought they represented Purdue, themselves, their families and the team well. This is something that hopefully when they grow up and they are parents, they will continue to see the importance to help out the community and be a blessing to others."
After the money was collected and the gifts were purchased, the team took a couple hours meticulously wrapping the presents. Hundreds of gifts, selected from individual wish lists, were wrapped for the five families, which included 11 kids ranging from 6 to 14 years old, from the New Community School.
About half the students at the New Community School, located in Lafayette, struggle to bring a daily lunch, along with other financial burdens. That figure alone shows the needs of the students, especially since the school cannot provide lunches or transportation. The school uses those figures to identify specific families with financial needs and then goes through a selection process to select the families for the event.
The Boilermakers plan to continue the event in the coming years.
Purdue is set to start its indoor season on Friday with a trip to Bloomington, Ind., for the IU Earlybird Invitational.