Students in Milton’s Community Engagement Programs and Partnerships (CEPP) have been busy since the return from winter break, hosting the winter Special Olympics basketball tournament, a Red Cross blood drive, and helping other student groups to feed families in need, says CEPP director Andrea Geyling-Moore.
At the Special Olympics event on February 3, Milton hosted 16 teams from around Greater Boston—including the Milton-Quincy teams the Bulldogs and the Superstars—who vied for an opportunity to compete at the state level. The Special Olympics is the largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, and it is a regular CEPP volunteer program: The Milton-Quincy teams practice here on campus with Milton students as volunteers.
Student site liaison Will DiGiovanni (III) says he became a volunteer because his brothers told him how much fun they had working with the athletes.
“My favorite part is being able to help each athlete,” Will says. “I’ve gotten to know all the athletes on the teams, and it always makes me happy when their faces brighten at each practice, because they’re so eager to play.”
CEPP volunteers help with the athletes’ practices every Sunday throughout the year—soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter and track and field in the spring. The next Special Olympics event at Milton Academy will be the track and field event on Sunday, May 19. The School community is invited to help during the event and cheer on the athletes.
This past Tuesday, students and adults donated blood through a Red Cross blood drive, an annual CEPP event. The drive typically attracts dozens of participants, whose donations benefit patients in emergencies and routine medical procedures.
Milton students also donated nonperishable food in a can drive sponsored by the Student Government Association, Andrea says. The SGA donated food between the Milton Food Pantry and the Taylor Elementary School in Boston, which is a regular CEPP volunteer site. At the Taylor School, need is especially high this winter, with nearly 200 children (170 families) living without permanent housing, says Andrea.
Students interested in getting involved in CEPP volunteer opportunities for the spring should email community_engagement@milton.edu.