ERIE, Pa. – When Mercyhurst College football head coach
Marty Schaetzle told his players to bring a little extra to preseason camp, he didn’t just mean it figuratively.
While attending mass a few weeks before the start of preseason camp, Schaetzle listened to the Home Missions Sisters of America and their efforts to collect basic necessities for all people in the southern rural and small towns of the United States.
He knew right away that this was something his football squad could donate. Schaetzle then put pen to paper and began sending out invitations to preseason camp with the headline “Bring A Little Extra To Camp.”
His players responded with boxes full of donations such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, tissues, soaps and body wash.
“We just put an empty box out and the players filled it up when they arrived,” says Schaetzle. “And when the box was full, we’d bring in another box and they’d fill that one up too.”
In the end, hundreds of basic necessities were boxed up and are now being prepared to ship to the Glenmary Sisters in Owensboro, Kentucky.
“There’s so much more going on in the world than college football, even though we get wrapped up in the season during this time of year,” says Schaetzle. “You might ask why we do this? For the most part, our student-athletes are fortunate and can afford to give back. We all can give back a little bit. As often as we can, we try to do something like this as a team.”
For the players and coaches, giving back is something they have become accustomed to during their tenure at Mercyhurst.
“One of our core values is to be socially merciful,” adds director of athletics Joe Kimball. “This is a great example of how our student-athletes acted as ambassadors of service and reached out to others in need.”
Home Missions Sisters of America, Inc., also known as Glenmary Sisters, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit religious organization and a canonically approved community.
Glenmary Sisters
PO Box 22264
Owensboro, KY 42304-2264
270-686-8401
www.glenmarysisters.org