KU Softball Teams Up with Salvation Army

LAWRENCE, Kan. – ‘Tis the season for decking the halls and spreading Holiday cheer. The Kansas softball team kicked off the Holiday season by giving back to a local family. The Jayhawks recently partnered with the Salvation Army’s Adopt-a-Family program and spent an evening shopping for presents for their family.

“We sat down and thought about how we could give back,” head coach Megan Smith said. “We have a lot of young women who are selfless and participate in lots of community service events. We thought instead of using our money on gag gifts, we could help someone else out. We had a great time shopping for our family that we adopted through the Salvation Army.”

For past Holidays, KU softball has had a team gift exchange or a Secret Santa, but this year the team decided to start a new Holiday tradition in giving back to the community. Many members of the Kansas softball team volunteer throughout the community year round, but the Adopt-a-Family program gave the Jayhawks a chance to bond as a team while helping a very special family.

“The idea of Christmas is often misconstrued,” said senior outfielder Alex Jones. “It’s not as much about receiving gifts as it is about giving, so a season of giving. That’s what I love about this year and getting the opportunity to adopt a family. We went shopping as a team and it was solely about the team giving to someone else.”

The team split up into their Jayhawk teams and each got a member of the family to shop for. Each member of the family got a new outfit and a present. The team decided to add in a new toy for the children.

Each member of the team and coaching staff pitched in and donated their own money to help make the Holidays special for the family. 

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