MACON, Ga. - The third annual Atlantic Sun Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) fundraising competition again shattered records as the combined efforts resulted in $21,966 raised for charities ranging from the American Cancer Society to local youth programs and local hospitals.
For the first time in the three-year history of the fundraiser, each school could choose their charitable cause. Mercer, after finishing second to UNF last year, won the title, raising $6,500 and establishing an institutional record. Florida Gulf Coast finished second, raising $3,703 with Campbell claiming third with $3,214.
"We share a common commitment in the Atlantic Sun Conference, and that is Building Winners For Life," Atlantic Sun Commissioner Ted Gumbart said. "The student-athletes at our member institutions embody the very best in collegiate athletics, and we are proud that they have made giving back to their communities a focus at each campus SAAC. Our student-athletes are winners, and they are helping to build and better the lives of others. Congratulations and thanks to our student-athletes, who make working in college athletics so satisfying."
The purpose of the SAAC is to promote and actively encourage the involvement of student-athletes on campus and in their communities, while allowing those student-athletes to have an open line of communication to voice their concerns to institutional administrations and the conference office.
The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.
