Marymount University’s varsity athletic teams are a competitive bunch, even when it comes to community service. During an event following the school’s Dec. 2 Christmas tree lighting ceremony last week, the women’s soccer team made 46 fleece-tie baby blankets to men’s baseball’s 45, all part of an annual event that has grown during each of the last four years.
The annual blanket-drive benefits HOPE in Northern Virginia, a local crisis pregnancy shelter. Madelyn Kellen, the senior resident assistant (RA) who started the annual drive as a first-year student, said the mothers appreciate the gifts that are “homemade with love.”
“It was amazing to see the whole campus community get involved,” said Kellen, an Ashburn resident majoring in business and hospitality management.
In addition to having most varsity teams participate, Marymount’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee donated $500 of the $1,700 raised for materials. All told, Kellen said 215 Marymount students participated in the event, making a total of 380 blankets. That’s quite a contrast to just four years ago when Kellen and a dozen friends made 22 blankets.
“I was hoping that this year would be the biggest one since it will be my last year but never in my wildest dreams thought it would be this big,” said Kellen.
Jen Carter, a third-year nursing student, helped Kellen run the event and will take over next year after Kellen graduates. Other RA’s who helped include: Joanna Chenaille; Becca Bateman; Maggie Campbell; Julianna Jaime; Natasha Rovenolt; Bertha Vargas; Emily Montgomery; Caroline Benz; Kirsten Campbell; Kaden Darrow; Josh Boyd; Abbie Wolfe; Kellen Cannon; Monique Cassimiro; Mitchell Wooten; and Derek Chouinard.
Photo captions
Photo 1
Marymount University students made 380 fleece-tie baby blankets for HOPE in Northern Virginia, a local crisis pregnancy shelter.
Photo 2
This is the fourth year Marymount students have worked on this holiday project. Pictured from left are women’s soccer team members Alyssa Baca, Caroline Phillips and Maddie Alexander.
Photo 3
In addition to having most varsity teams participate, Marymount’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee donated $500 of the $1,700 raised for materials to make the fleece-tie baby blankets. Pictured from left are Brian Carmichael, Jake Kniatt and John LaMotta of the men’s baseball team.
Photo 4
Marymount’s resident assistants spearheaded the service project.
