SAAC delivers Easter baskets to SIREN Shelter

OLIVET, Mich. – On Saturday, March 24, 10 members of Olivet College’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) delivered 40 Easter Egg Baskets and 400 candy-filled eggs to the Eaton SIREN Domestic Abuse Shelter in Charlotte. Participating were men’s soccer player/track runner Billyle Alman, of Lansing; football player Brandon Blackmon, of Madison Heights; wrestler Jack Griggs, of Brighton; golfer Ben Hart, of Rockford; cheerleader Ellie Kalahar, of Swartz Creek; golfer Jake Maas, of Olivet; women’s soccer player/track runner Jenna Mayle, of Ionia; soccer player Matt VanHouten, of Northville; wrestler Preston Treend, of Casco; and women’s soccer player Lindsey Winters, of Plymouth.

"It was a great experience being able to help out these kids,” said VanHouten. “There are a lot of times when we forgot how fortune we really are, and being able to bring joy to these kids was a great feeling.”

Each basket had a container of bubbles, a couple small toys, and a Tootsie-roll filled coin-bank or a small container of play dough. Ample amounts of candy were placed in each basket to go along with the 400 plastic eggs that were filled with candy. Treend and women’s golfer Theresa Damico, of White Lake, purchased the baskets, items for the baskets and the eggs with money SAAC received in a grant from Olivet’s Student Government Association.

“It was great to be able to go out and purchase Easter gifts for the kids at the Siren Shelter,” said Damico. “Being able to know we made a difference in the world and put a smile on their faces is such a rewarding feeling!"

The next SAAC-sponsored event is Jock Rock this Sunday, April 7. The event will take place inside The Cutler Event Center and starts at 7 p.m. Proceeds will be donated to the Eaton SIREN Shelter.

Click here to view additional photos from the day.