DANVILLE, Va. — In the spirit of giving back and affecting change in the Danville community, 80 Averett University students participated in the Boys & Girls Club Angel Tree project sponsored by the university this December.
 
Averett's family of students, student-athletes, faculty, staff, members of Averett's President's Council and board members of the Danville Boys & Girls Club teamed up to purchase over 200 gifts such as bicycles, video games and clothing for local members of the Boys & Girls Club.
 
Averett men's soccer coach Philip Wilson, one of the event's coordinators, was proud of the turnout and feels good about the future of the event.
 
"I don't think we could have fit any more people in the room," Wilson said. "The event has really grown to be something that everyone at Averett wants to be involved in and it makes for an unforgettable experience for the children of the Boys & Girls Club."
 
According to Wilson, participation in the event leaves a lasting impression on all those involved.
 
"Seeing the reactions from both the child and the student when they are unwrapping their gifts is an experience like no other," Wilson said.
 
He also expressed pride in the university's ability to serve the community and provide positive role models for the children.
 
"Students get to give back, the children get to leave with gifts and new role models, but the biggest thing for me is Averett becomes an agent of change and helps build a stronger community," Wilson said. 
 
Approximately 40-50 Boys & Girls Club children participated in the event. Each child listed three gifts on a tree ornament that they wanted for Christmas and volunteers picked the ornament off the tree and decided how many gifts to purchase. Each child received approximately three to four gifts.
 
Members of the community interested getting involved with the Boys & Girls Club along with other charitable organizations in the area can do so by visiting engage.averett.edu. The site lists organizations or events in the Danville community that are in need of volunteers.  
 
The Angel Tree project was another example of Averett University and its athletics department dedication to giving back to the community. Already this year, Averett's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) collected canned food items as part of the USA South's Cans Across the Conference initiative during the 2015 fall season. SAAC collected a school-record 12,146 items on its way to winning this year's Cans Across the Conference event. All canned food items collected were donated to God's Storehouse in Danville. Additionally, Averett earned the USA South's "Pennies for a Purpose" plaque for the first time in school history after collecting a conference-best $1,805 last spring.