University of North Carolina Athletics
Athletes Share Their Christmas
December 22, 2003 | General
Dec. 22, 2003
by Parker Melvin
Athletic Communications
For some kids, Santa Claus is a clever old man who somehow finds a way to squeeze his chubby belly down their skinny chimney. For other kids, he's a group of sweatsuit-clad athletes standing in the doorway just waiting to bring in armfuls of presents. Thanks to Carolina Outreach and the athletes involved, Christmas has been a little warmer for some of those other kids.
For the past several years, members from UNC's 28 varsity athletic teams have taken part in the Share Your Christmas program. It's a program in which student-athletes raise money to buy Christmas presents for needy families on a list provided by Durham Social Services. According to Michelle Greco, UNC's Coordinator of Student Athlete Volunteer Programs, the idea began with one coach. "About five years ago Jen Larsen, a women's lacrosse assistant, started this program, and they began with just women's lacrosse adopting a couple families themselves," says Greco. "Then she brought it to Carolina Outreach, and it eventually expanded to include all of the athletic teams."
One of the unique aspects of Carolina Outreach, UNC's branch of a larger ACC Outreach volunteer organization, is that many of the initiatives taken on are student-led. "Before I got here there wasn't anyone overseeing the program, so the student's just did it by themselves for years. I think that's impressive - that it kept going without any administrative support," says Greco. Gena Bittner, a senior swimmer for UNC and the student coordinator for Share Your Christmas, is the latest student-athlete to have the leader's baton passed to her. When she first arrived at the University, she was surprised to see what went on behind the scenes. "I didn't realize that athletes could make time for that kind of stuff," says Bittner.
Her perspective soon changed as she learned about how the volunteer program worked. During her freshman year, an upperclassman on the swim team rounded up money donations from team members. That helped set an example for Bittner, and even more importantly it made her become determined to pitch in, too. "It was this program that got me so involved in the outreach program, in deciding that I wanted to be the one that really got more people involved," says Bittner.
It has been this mindset that has helped Carolina Outreach gain momentum every year. As Greco says, "I'm really impressed with how generous everybody is with their money. Even the coaches get into it." This year Dawn Bunting, the wife of head football coach John Bunting, promised to make a donation equal to half of what the entire football team raised for Share Your Christmas. Wrestling coach C.D. Mock made the same promise to match whatever donations his team pulled together. It's the teamwork part of it that Greco thinks is key. "That's where we really make a difference," she says. The growing number of families that UNC student-athletes sponsor each year is a direct reflection of the increasing emphasis upon community service. This year through Share-Your-Christmas, student-athletes delivered gifts to 37 families, the most since the program's inception.
As inspiring as it is to see the collective effort made by the UNC student-athletes, the true value of Share Your Christmas cannot be judged without seeing those who appreciate it the most. Bittner always enjoys delivering presents to the kids and their family. "The kids really love it when you walk up to the house with your UNC sweats and everything on," she says. "Sometimes we even give them autographs. They really enjoy it."
Greco can still recall her first experience with the program: "Last year I went along with football," she says. "There were six kids in a one-bedroom apartment, and they didn't speak English. They had a tree without a single gift under it. When we left, their whole living room was full of gifts." It's the feel-good stories of this sort that have made Share Your Christmas so popular among the student-athletes.
With Carolina Outreach and the opportunities it provides, student-athletes have the chance to share in the Christmas spirit. The great thing is, part of the Christmas spirit means feeling appreciated too. Says Greco, "We're all very blessed, and the student-athletes see that some people wouldn't have a Christmas if it wasn't for them."
