Indiana University Athletics
Baseball Lends Support to Hurricane Relief Effort
9/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sept. 21, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - On Sept. 9, Indiana University student-athletes collectively donated $1,850 to Nicholls State University student-athletes in an effort to aid those Nicholls State University student-athletes impacted by Hurricane Katrina. This donation included a $1,000 contribution from the IU football program, which faced the Colonels on Sept. 10.
Indiana Athletics' effort to aid in hurricane relief is ongoing. IU student-athletes collected another $150 for Nicholls' student-athletes, and the Hoosiers' Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has established community outreach and special projects committees that will help identify ways in which SAAC can assist this ongoing endeavor.
In addition to this donation, the Hoosier baseball and women's soccer programs made their own contributions to Hurricane Katrina relief.
The baseball team spent much of Friday afternoon, Sept. 16, loading boxes of supplies donated by area school children in a truck to be taken to victims of the hurricane.
The project, which was initiated by Jaime Smith, wife of head baseball coach Tracy Smith, was a worthy cause to many on the Indiana baseball team. Among the Hoosier sluggers that gave their time and strength generously were juniors Josh Richardson and Matt Saba, sophomores Jon Fixler, Brad Kramer, Kevin Leininger and Chris McCombs and freshmen Anthony Cera, Jason Dew, Chris Hervey, Cameron Satterwhite, Tyler Tufts and Joe Vicini.
"It's a really tragic time for our country and I feel like being able to help out in any way we can is important," Richardson said. "There are a lot of fortunate people here in the Midwest, and I think it's important for those people to come together and help in any way they can."
All of the supplies collected will be delivered to victims in Baton Rouge, La. The IU baseball team made their contribution in conjunction with the LSU football program. Former Indiana assistant football coach Doug Mallory is now an assistant with the Tigers, and Doug's wife, Lisa, became close friends with Jaime Smith when their husbands worked at IU in 1995-96. Jamie Smith and Lisa Mallory agreed to have local schools and the Indiana baseball team contribute in whatever ways they can. The outpouring of goods and support has been overwhelming.
"I think this is great that our guys could take the time and do this for the hurricane victims," Tracy Smith said. "I think it's important to realize that there are things more important than athletics. I'm glad they all came out and pitched in, and I know they all will feel better about themselves when they go to bed tonight. Even though what we are doing is small, if you get everybody helping, you can make a major difference. We are happy to do it."
Indiana women's soccer head coach Mick Lyon and his wife Elizabeth, pledged 100 dollars per goal scored during the Hoosier Classic (Sept. 9-10) against Miami (Friday, Sept. 9) and Xavier (Sun. Sept. 11). The Hoosiers scored four goals over the weekend, (Miami-1, Xavier-3), so Mick donated 400 dollars to the American Red Cross in honor of the hurricane relief and from Indiana women's soccer team.
"My wife and I are just wanting to help out anyway that we can," Lyon said. "We were talking about it, and wondered how we could get the team involved as well. Our best idea was to motivate them to not only score goals for the match, but to do it for a greater cause."
