Mules in the Community

On Saturday, March 9^th the Colby College football program had 19 members participate in the 2013 Polar Plunge right here in Waterville, ME!

Proceeds raised from the event went directly to the Waterville, ME Boys and Girls Club Kids Kitchen this year.  The team was able to raise over $400 for the event, which has become a regular engagement on the team’s community service calendar. The participation in this event by the Colby football team was coordinated and led by Devin Gibbs, a Waterville native and Junior student-athlete for Colby College.

For more on this event here is a link to the news report on the Polar Plunge:

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article/234387/2/Polar-Bear-Dip-benefits-Waterville-Kids-Kitchen

If the Colby women’s ice hockey team isn’t busy enough duking it out with NESCAC opponents on the ice hockey rink, you can find these players on their Sunday afternoons coaching little kids at local Sukee Arena in Winslow, ME how to skate on the ice. This Learn to Skate program is a product of Central Maine Youth Hockey (CMYH). Three to four members of the team go over to Winslow each Sunday on a rotating schedule and teach the kids how to skate for a couple hours.

On Sunday, January 27^th members of the Colby College football team along with Head Football Coach Jonathan Michaeles and staff served over 350 Special Olympic athletes during the opening ceremonies of the 2013 Maine Special Olympics Winter games held at Sugarloaf Ski Resort.  Opening ceremonies finished with an ice skating event in which Colby College players assisted within the rink as well as a great karaoke night for all athletes!  Over 1,000 total athletes participated in the Maine Special Olympic Games Sunday, January 27^th – Tuesday, January 29^th.

More information on the Maine Special Olympics and how you can be a part of a great organization and group is found here.  http://www.specialolympicsmaine.org/about/index.asp

Sixteen members of Colby’s field hockey team serve as members of CCAK, a great mentorship program bridging students from the Colby community to local children in the public school systems. Mentorship involves weekly visits with a student’s mentee and guidance from a successful young adult. Last year field hockey captain Lauren Zion initiated a special connection between the field hockey team and Winslow Elementary School which has resulted in matching students with mentees.

Colby College tennis teams pitch in for community service effort around Colby campus.

Members of the Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams sacrificed their Saturday last weekend and took part in a community volunteer effort, otherwise known as Johnson Day . Players worked alongside Colby Physical Plant Department(PPD) workers and raked the lawn area outside of Pulver, Colby’s student union. In addition to raking, these students also helped with loading and transporting raked leaves to disposal sites. After a long day of physical labor, the players enjoyed lunch with the workers from PPD at Colby’s dining hall. Johnson Day was an all campus effort to beautify campus and help out the hardworking employees of the Physical Plant Department. Various projects were done by other student groups throughout campus.

The Colby women’s lacrosse team creatively dressed up as Dr. Seuss’s “Things”.

Colby athletes were well represented at the Hardy Girls Healthy Women Freaky 5k Fun Run Saturday, October 27, 2012. The Run started at Diamond building and looped around Waterville to conclude its finish at Colby’s newly renovated field house. Participating teams included the men’s ice hockey team, the alpine ski team, women’s lacrosse, women’s basketball, and the softball team. This run serves as a charity event for the Hardy Girls Healthy Women foundation which aims to improve women’s health and women’s perceptions of health and body image. The run intends to defy the stereotypes of scandalous or revealing Halloween costumes and promote funny, scary costumes.

Colby women’s softball team dressing up in the Halloween festive spirit. Alpine ski team members dressing up as whoopie cushions, mignons, tigers, and crayons.

          
On Saturday, October 20th, 2012 the Colby Women’s Lacrosse team volunteered at Mt. Merci Academy’s annual Harvest Fest administering tickets, giving out popcorn, and engaging with young students to celebrate the beautiful fall season and festivities.

CMB player hoists a 2nd grader from Atwood Primary School up to the net for a slam dunk!

The Colby men’s basketball team must have looked a bit intimidating towering over the K-2nd graders at the Atwood Primary School in Oakland last week. Standing erect at an average of 6’3” these men quickly quelled their intimidation factor by engaging these young students. The team participated in two days of volunteerism at the Atwood Primary School.  The first day the men read to kindergartners and provided a fun story-time. The second day the Colby students engaged in playful games and activities during recess period with the K-2nd graders.

CMB Senior, Gordon Fischer, helping students write on the chalkboard at Atwood Primary School.

John Gilboy, a senior two-sport athlete, redefines what it means to be a student-athlete here at Colby College. Gilboy, a co-captain of both the football team and the indoor track team, takes pride in all that he does representing his school. He balances a rigorous academic schedule with a dual major in classical civilizations and biochemistry. Managing to play two sports and handle such a rigorous workload is quite a feat; however, Gilboy manages all this with a 3.7 GPA. The Morning Sentinel had an amazing article capturing just how special John Gilboy is, and how he manages to excel both in the classroom and on the fields.

http://www.onlinesentinel.com/sports/hes-a-student-athlete_2012-09-20.html