George Washington University Athletics
GW Lacrosse Celebrates Fifth Year of Colonial Harvest
10/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
WASHINGTON -- For the fifth year in a row, the George Washington lacrosse team is sponsoring a Thanksgiving basket collection, dubbed Colonial Harvest, to provide food and toiletries to local families in need during the holidays. This fall the squad has expanded the scope of the annual project to include The Store, GW's newly opened food pantry for students.
"We are proud to spearhead the Colonial Harvest community service project again this year," said head coach Tracy Coyne. "We love it because it gives us the opportunity to directly impact the local community in a positive way by offering food assistance to local families and give an extra boost to the Foggy Bottom Food Pantry during the holiday season. The entire GW Community really stepped up with a truly generous heart to support Colonial Harvest last fall. I know we are capable of matching that generosity this year."
"As a GW student-athlete, we are so privileged to have many exciting opportunities at our fingertips -- Colonial Harvest helps ground all of us," said graduate student Becca Taub. "It is an amazingly eye-opening experience to see how many individuals right around Foggy Bottom are unable to provide a decent Thanksgiving meal for their families. This project is an incredible bonding experience for our team, coaching staff, and university community, bringing us closer together as we see the impact Colonial Harvest can have in giving these less fortunate families a Thanksgiving meal they will never forget."
As in years past, the Colonials are collecting laundry baskets filled with non-perishable food items including typical Thanksgiving staples like canned vegetables, instant mashed potatoes, stuffing mix and cranberry sauce, as well as toiletries such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste and toilet paper. The food baskets will be donated to St. Rita's Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia and the remaining canned good items will go to the Foggy Bottom Food Pantry. In addition, the team will also accept monetary donations, which will benefit The Store.
Baskets and monetary donations will be collected in the lobby of the Charles E. Smith Center on Friday, Nov. 4, from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Players will also be collecting donations at the GW men's basketball game on November 5th.
In the first three years of Colonial Harvest, the lacrosse team reached out only within the GW department of athletics and recreation. Last year, the squad opened up the collection to include the entire university. For the first time, the team also hand delivered the Thanksgiving Baskets and were able to witness the impact the donations had on the families.
"Hand delivering the Thanksgiving baskets for the first time had a huge impact on me," said senior Shea Cassidy. "These people lived in severe poverty and to see the impact of the baskets first hand was truly an eye opening experience."
"Over the past couple years, this project has grown tremendously," said Taub. "This experience has always been a meaningful one for all of us, but the incredible growth of Colonial Harvest within the past two years has taken the project to an entirely new level. Colonial Harvest is something that GW Women's Lacrosse and the entire university community can be very proud of, and I am sure this project will continue to expand and help more people every year."
