Team Impact unites AIC athletes with young charges

Team Impact unites AIC athletes with young charges

Katelynn Leclerc, Staff Writer

On December 9, 2018 members of the Team Impact Committee at American International College will host a holiday party for the team impact kids and their families.

Team Impact is a nonprofit organization that helps children with chronicle illnesses become a part of a collegiate sporting team. Children who are struggling often times could start to feel left out and if they are incapable of playing a sport.

Team Impact allows these students to be paired with a sporting team that they essentially then become one of their teammates.

At American International College, there are eight pairings with Team Impact children. This number of pairings is on the higher end of the teams within the NE10. Members of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee joined the sub-committee for team impact and wanted to put on an event to allow all of the pairings to come together in a family friendly environment with all of the AIC teams sure to have a great time.

When brainstorming ideas the idea of a holiday party came up and it looked like it had potential  to be a great hit. Teams will be gathering money from each other to save up to purchase a gift for their team impact child. Each kid and their families will be making gingerbread house, while doing some arts and crafts and spending time with their team. While the committee bounced ideas off of one another the idea of this holiday event began to grow.

This is a chance for the children who are paired with teams to bond with their “teammates” away from sporting events. This will allow their families to get to know our student athletes more aside from being an athlete here at school.

AIC Junior Jenny Holmquist is our Team Impact representative and is eager for this event and the many others to follow.

“This event will put them in a different atmosphere other then being on the field. When teams are playing they don’t really get the opportunity to bond with their match,” Holmquist said.

Most schools with Team Impact children organize a sporting event that would be considered a fundraiser for the organization.

American International College will be having one of these events as well.

The game will be a men’s ice hockey game on February 2ndagainst Niagara University at 1:05 p.m. There will be a table set up for donations to the Team Impact organization as well the money made from the ‘Chuck a Puck’ contest will be going to Team Impact as well.

Schools nearby with Team Impact parings are joining together to go to the Springfield Thunderbirds game on February 15th. Families will be going to this event where they can also make donations and learn more about this nonprofit organization.

American International College is already planning more events that we held last year. This hopefully will get more donations to this organization and allow people to know more about team impact.

Looking forward to the holiday party on.”