Florida Tech SAAC Donates 1,805 Items In Food Drive

By  //  December 8, 2013

STUDENT-ATHLETE LEADERS

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Florida Tech’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) made a large contribution prior to Thanksgiving, donating 1,805 items to Daily Bread in Melbourne.

 Florida Tech’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) made a large contribution prior to Thanksgiving, donating 1,805 items to Daily Bread in Melbourne.
Florida Tech’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) made a large contribution prior to Thanksgiving, donating 1,805 items to Daily Bread in Melbourne.

“It is such a great feeling knowing that all the student-athletes came together to support families in need,” FIT SAAC President and junior softball player Brooke Smith said.

“It’s a wonderful experience for everyone involved and so cool to see how involved the student-athletes get. We had our swim team donate over 1,000 items! Through SAAC and all the student-athletes, we can really make a difference in the lives of so many people.”

SAAC Vice President and redshirt sophomore men’s basketball player Isaac Spence echoed Smith’s take on the Panthers’ food drive.

Brooke Smith
Brooke Smith
Isaac Spence
Isaac Spence

“The fact that we had close to 2,000 items donated speaks volumes to the positive influence our student-athletes can have on the Melbourne community,” he said.

“I think we are only at the tip of the iceberg for what SAAC and our student-athletes can do for this community and people facing hard times.”

FIT’s swim team donated over 1,000 items for the second straight year. It led all of the Panthers’ varsity sports with 1,382 items.

“I am very pleased to see the team come together for another year of donating over 1,000 cans,” head men’s and women’s swimming coach and aquatics director Jeni Ritter said.

JENNI-RITTER-180
Jeni Ritter

“Coach (Justin) Andrade and I delivered our cans as well as all the cans from the other teams to Melbourne’s Daily Bread. It was quite a humbling experience to see how grateful they were for the donations of Florida Tech Athletics. As one of the newer programs within the athletics department, it is great to see the swimming team develop a tradition like this, and I hope that it continues to be a priority for the team. Next year, the goal is 1,500!”

STUDENT-ATHLETE LEADERS

The focus of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is to be the leadership for the student-athlete population and serve as a vehicle to increase service to the University and the community. It is also the student-athlete’s voice in the administration of the programs that directly affect student-athletes.

The group consists of representatives from each team. Membership is based on student-athlete interest and coach recommendations.

DAILY BREAD SERVED MORE THAN 1.6 MILLON MEALS

DAILY-BREAD-300Founded in Sept. 1987, Daily Bread’s soup kitchen has served more than 1.6 million meals to the needy since its inception. It also provides showers, hygiene products, a mail stop and clothing to anyone in need.

Daily Bread is headquartered at 815 East Fee Avenue in Melbourne.