A Big Win: TU Athletics Makes Sizable Contributions To Student Emergency Fund

Press release from Towson University:

By Kyle Hobstetter on July 29, 2020

Towson University football coach Rob Ambrose, show running out onto the field before
a game in 2016, is one of many members of Towson University Athletic Department to
donate to the Student Emergency Grant Fund.

When Towson University first announced the Student Emergency Grant Fund, many members of the TU community jumped at a chance to help its students.

Some of the first to step up and donate were members of the Towson University Athletics Department. Seventy five TU Athletics staff members donated $68,662 to the Student Emergency
& Food Insecurity Fund. That number represents 38 percent of the total amount raised.

Athletics Director Tim Leonard said that as soon as the Student Emergency Grant Fund was announced, his team wanted
to help. Leonard says that while they directly support student-athletes, the athletics
department is also committed to helping the campus community at-large.

“We’re dedicated to young people and trying to help them get through college and get
them prepared for life,” Leonard says. “Whether its athletes or regular students,
this is what we do. We’re committed to helping out young people that want to go to
college and get a great education at Towson University. If they need some help, we’re
going to chip in any way we can.”

The Student Emergency Grant Fund assists TU students who are experiencing an exceptional
financial crisis that impedes their academic progress and success.

Towson University is currently focusing these grants on expenses related to coronavirus
disruptions such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, relocation
to return home and child care.

TU Student Affairs has awarded nearly 1,000 emergency grants to TU students, totaling more than $282,000 since April 1, with applications still being accepted
for the upcoming fall academic term.

More than 1,500 donors contributed nearly $180,000 to the fund from July 2019 to June
2020 — most of them given between April and June of this year. Additionally, the TU
Foundation supported the fund with a reallocation of $100,000 for student emergencies.

Over 6,700 TU students have already received more than $7.6 million in grants from
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. An additional $1 million is set aside for students with needs in the current academic
year.

Towson University football coach Rob Ambrose and men’s basketball coach Pat Skerry were two of the first across campus to donate to the Student Emergency Grant Fund.
According to Athletics Director Tim Leonard, Ambrose donated the first day the website
was up and running.

“Rob is a great example because he understands this is bigger than just his team,”
Leonard says. “We have some really good coaches here who are engaged in the community.
These things are bigger than sports, and I think our coaches understand that.

“Look at all the things we’ve done over the past several years, initiatives we get
involved in, it’s not just for show, that’s because they believe in the greater good
and do their part where they can.”

Members of the Towson University men's and women's basketball team host a basketball
clinic each year in partnership with the Hussman Center for Adults with Autism.

Towson University Athletics has worked hard to make a name for itself in the community
through its countless service work in the area.

Throughout the years, Towson University student-athletes have spent time visiting
local schools and hospitals, assisting with the Senior and Special Olympic Programs,
cleaning up the community, participating in blood drives, participating in charity
runs such as the Susan G. Komen "The Race for the Cure," collecting personal care
items for those in need and assisting with university move-in days. These are just
a few examples of community outreach activities sponsored by Tiger athletic teams
in the past.

For seven consecutive years, Tiger student-athletes completed over 10,000 hours of
community service in the Baltimore area. The 2019-2020 season would have been eight,
but because of the shortened school year, athletics couldn’t reach the goal for an
eighth consecutive year. They finished the year with over 7,500 hours of community
service.

This past year, Towson University Athletics finished in third place in the National
Teamworks Competition. They worked with 18 different community organizations, as well
as eight campus partners for service which accounted for over 44% of the athletics’
department’s community service output.

“We have a chance to impact so many lives,” Leonard says. “A significant number of
our student athletes are great leaders on campus and great students in the classroom.
They do a lot more than just play games. They add to the campus community, and that’s
what were here to do.”

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel’s priorities for Towson University: TU Matters to Maryland.

This press release was produced by Towson University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.