The Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAACs) from the Empire 8 Athletic Conference (E8) and Liberty League will engage in a friendly, spirited fundraising competition during the
2016 NCAA Division III Week in support of
Special Olympics.
The SAAC groups at E8 and Liberty League member institutions will conduct a weeklong “Change War” from Monday, April 4 through Sunday, April 10. Campus SAAC groups will collect change during Division III Week, and the conference which raises the most combined funds will be declared the E8/Liberty League “Change War” winner.
“The Change War competition between our E8 member schools and the Liberty League membership is a fun and engaging way to get both conferences involved, not just raising funds for a great cause, but also in a healthy competition,” said Empire 8 Associate Commissioner Janelle Zera.
“The Liberty League members are pleased to partner with our Empire 8 counterparts in a friendly competition to benefit Special Olympics,” said Liberty League Commissioner Tracy King. “While our members regularly compete against each other on the playing fields, we don’t often have opportunities to collaborate on initiatives outside of athletics.”
All of the funds raised by the E8 and Liberty League will go directly to Special Olympics. Since 2011,
Special Olympics and NCAA Division III schools have been connected through a partnership designed to foster a mutual learning experience between Division III student-athletes and Special Olympics athletes. Through this partnership, Division III student-athletes across the country are encouraged to participate in existing Special Olympics events, create their own events, or otherwise serve to support Special Olympics organization.
“The Change War is an effective way to bring out the competitive nature in all student-athletes, and since Special Olympics has a connection to Division III athletics, we thought it was the perfect foundation for our efforts of raising money and awareness for a meaningful cause," said Zera.
Division III Week is an opportunity for all individuals associated with Division III to observe and celebrate the impact of athletics and of student-athletes on the campus and surrounding community. During the week, every Division III school and conference office is encouraged to conduct a type of outreach activity that falls into one of three categories: academic accomplishment; athletic experience; or leadership/community service/campus involvement. The event is part of Division III’s Identity Initiative, which was introduced in 2010 to sharpen the division’s identity and to enable schools and conferences to more effectively explain why they prefer to compete in Division III.