March 17, 1998
On Monday, Feb. 16, 1998, seven Villanova student-athletes traveled to St. Christopher's Children's Hospital to visit with a group of sick children. Among the student-athletes on the trip were Rick Warner of the football team, Beth McCaffery and Erin O'Toole of the women's soccer team, Jarad Lucan and Gus Membiela of the swimming and diving team, Stacee Jones of the women's water polo team and Marisa Davidson of the volleyball team.
"I think our student-athletes got as much out of going to the hospital as the children who we visited," said Associate Athletic Director Mary Anne Dowling who also accompanied the students. "I believe we made a difference with each child we visited at St. Chris. I was very proud of our student-athletes."
The athletes shared time with the patients in an active room, where they helped with arts and crafts and also played video games. Each patient was given a Villanova pad, pen, key-chain and bumpersticker. Patients are allowed in the active room as a reward for good behavior.
"I just tried to get a smile out of each kid I talked with," said McCaffery. "I wish we could have stayed and talked to more children."
Following the arts and crafts, each athlete went to the rooms of patients who could not leave their beds. The athlete's spent about 15 minutes in each room and also gave each patient gifts. The Hospital photographer took photographs and WPVI-TV (Philadelphia Channel 6) news was on hand to interview some of the athletes and patients.
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), a program aimed at promoting a positive image of intercollegiate athletics, planned the outreach program.
"We had over 100 student-athletes who wanted to go, but we were limited to just 10," said Dowling. "I think that shows the caliber of student-athletes we have here at Villanova."
