(12-16-08) NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Last week, several student-athletes and Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) members took time out of their busy schedules to spend some time with the children at Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital (YNHH). For the past three years, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee has given its gift of time to help the Child Life Program at YNHH and put on a holiday party for the kids in the hospital.
On Monday December 9, four student-athletes, Austin Michalski (men's volleyball), Jayme Phillips (cheerleading), Lisa Barnard (women's lacrosse) and Alison Mahoney (women's tennis) went to the hospital to decorate the space for the party. With the help of the Child Life Program staff and even some of the kids, the group decked out one of the playrooms of the children's hospital with garland, snowflakes and snowmen.
The following day, another group of student-athletes came to attend the holiday party and help out with the activities. Brigid Brady (women's lacrosse), Carolina Marrero(women's lacrosse), Cheyne Ashline (men's volleyball), Lisa Barnard (women's lacrosse), Jayme Phillips (cheerleading) and Alison Mahoney (women's tennis) all helped the kids with various holiday arts and crafts, cookie decorating and other fun activities.
"I first came to help out with the holiday party my freshman year, and I had such a great time I have volunteered to help out every year since," said junior men's volleyball player Austin Michalski.
Senior lacrosse player Brigid Brady shared her experience saying, "It's really great just to spend time with the kids and try and take their minds off of whatever may be going on and just have fun."
SAAC began helping with the holiday party three years ago, taking a few hours at the end of the semester to help make the holiday season a little bit better for the kids at Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital.
"They were all great to work with-creative, personable and genuinely interested in helping the patients to have a fun afternoon," said Janice Baker, Coordinator of Arts and Enrichment in the Child Life Program at the hospital, about the student-athletes who participated this year.
