FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Contacts
Andrew Keating, Director of Communications, 406.657.1104, media@rocky.edu 
Jill Washburn, Community Services Coordinator, 406.238.7394, jillwashburn@rocky.edu 

Rocky student-athletes set to volunteer on April 22 for ‘Day of Champions’

BILLINGS, April 13, 2017— Sometimes being a champion means giving instead of receiving.

On April 22, 2017,  Rocky Mountain College athletes will once again be out and about in the Billings area helping the community with service projects from 9:00 a.m. to noon as part of the annual RMC Day of Champions.

Since the program’s inception in 2013, the program’s goal has been an annual service day event in the spring that engages RMC’s student-athletes. “Day of Champions is done as part of Rocky’s commitment to being an engaged neighbor,” said Jill Washburn, community services coordinator for RMC.

Bruce Parker, RMC director of Athletics, has seen the program’s results and attests that the benefits to the program are two-fold. While the larger projects are given the numbers they need to be seen to completion, the athletes themselves are put more in touch with the needs of the community.

“It shows them that everything is not perfect in our community,” he said, adding that when projects are completed and the hard work is done, athletes can know that they have really helped those in need of assistance. “Students have a chance to go out and meet people and get to know their community better.”

“I think they very much enjoy it, working hand-in-hand with their teammates and coaches—it gives them a chance to give back to their community which supports us all year long,” Parker added.

And, for those larger projects, RMC does bring a small army. This year between 225 and 250 athletes will be participating in community or on-campus projects.

 “We go out in force and get things done,” Parker said.

This year, along with service projects on campus, RMC athletes, staff, and faculty will be serving various organizations around the community, including Billings Parks and Recreation, Montana Audubon Conservation Education Center, Moss Mansion Historic House Museum, and Friendship House of Christian Service.

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