Jayhawks Lend Helping Hand for Lawrence Habitat for Humanity
May 5, 2007
<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>LAWRENCE, Kan. – More than 100 Kansas Athletics student-athletes, coaches and administrators spent part of their Saturday building, finishing and painting local houses for Lawrence Habitat for Humanity.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Instigated by the Kansas Athletics Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) to enhance community service, participants worked two three-hour shifts in the 800 block of Walnut Street in north Lawrence. They mainly worked on three of a seven-house project Lawrence Habitat for Humanity is currently working on for completion at the end of June.
“We do a big community service project every year and we know this (Lawrence Habitat for Humanity) was a big one that every team could participate in at some time during the day,” KU senior diver Shelby Noonan, a member of SAAC said.
With supervision and direction from local volunteer builders, contractors and staff, KU athletes and administrator crews worked both inside and outside framing, painting and putting in windows. Each of the three future homes was at different stages of the building process.
“This has gone really good,” all-conference senior-to-be punter Kyle Tucker said. “We built a roof in a couple of hours. There are a lot of people out here doing good work.”
“This was perfect timing,” senior rower Tiffany Jeffers said. “Seeing this many athletes willing to pitch in and give up their Saturday morning has been great. It’s good to do community service events like this and I hope it continues.”
“We have a lot of construction that needed heavy lifting and these athletes were perfect for that,” Lawrence Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Jean Lilley said. “We were worried about how many came out today to help, but it has gone great.
“We have been overwhelmed with the response by the community with our current project,” Lilley added. “I don’t think we could do these jobs if it weren’t for the KU community. We have student groups out there every week. The athletes have been out there several times.”
For more information on Lawrence Habitat for Humanity go to www.lawrencehabitat.org.
