(Thank)Full of Happiness this Thanksgiving
November 21, 2018 | Softball, Women's Rowing, Badgers Give Back, Varsity Magazine
Giving families in our community a holiday they’ll want to remember
MADISON, Wis. — "Let our lives be full of both thanks and giving."
To ensure that no family goes without a warm Thanksgiving meal, 35 Wisconsin Athletics staff members and student-athletes teamed up to fight hunger in Madison. Volunteers welcomed families at the Goodman Community Center on Sunday, Nov. 18th for their annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive and distributed the ingredients necessary for a home-cooked holiday meal.
"It certainly puts a smile on your face," said Jackie Davenport, Wisconsin Athletics director of community relations. "If we can help provide a child, mom or dad with a great Thanksgiving meal, we've done our job."
The Badgers spent the day building grocery baskets and greeting each family with a warm wish of a happy holiday. A number of local organizations, including Wisconsin Athletics, partner together each year and contribute tremendous amounts of food, money and time to help our community.
"You really get to see immediate reactions to the lives you are touching," sophomore softball pitcher Haley Hestekin added. "It is an incredibly rewarding experience to impact families in need."
Thanksgiving baskets are offered to low-income families in Dane County and touch the lives of thousands of individuals.
"My favorite part of all our efforts is seeing how appreciative both the people we volunteer with and the families receiving the food are," junior rower Lauren O'Connor said. "There are a lot of families who rely on our Thanksgiving food drives during the holidays.
"There was an entire gym full of food and hearing how it would be emptied then filled again the next day to feed everyone made me realize how important every single donation is."
Smiles of sincerity spread from volunteer to volunteer and reminded each person of the true meaning of Thanksgiving: thankfulness for one another and the fortunes each person holds dear.
As we approach the holiday, may we all gather with a grateful heart.
Players Mentioned
