SJU SAAC packs over 95,000 meals for food shelves

Athletics at SJU are more than just about performance on the field, court, or pool. The St. John’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) held its annual Kids Fighting Hunger fundraiser this past weekend. St. John’s student-athletes came together to pack meals along with some members of the Granite City Rotary Club, a group of CSB athletes, alumni and other community members.

SAAC has held this Kids Fighting Hunger event since 2016 but could not organize an in-person packing event in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID. For 2020, SAAC instead donated the money they raised to charities such as the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross and various Catholic charities. SAAC is a group of people made up of two athletes from each athletics team at St. John’s. They work towards getting involved in service on campus and around the community. In total, this packing event has been held for six years. Around 95,000 meals were packed this year, bringing the six-year total to over 500,000. The food that was packed this year will be sent to local food shelves around St. Joseph and to various locations overseas who are in need of food as well.

Around $18,000 were raised for the event. A big portion of these donations come from the St. John’s Senate and the Granite City Rotary Club. Donations also come from collecting money at various athletic events and from athletes and coaches at SJU.

“We ask our teammates, as well as ourselves, to donate money to the cause. It shows that we have skin in the game and we do truly care about this event.” Kids Fighting Hunger committee chair Julian Mares said.

Mares is a senior who was a part of the wrestling team at St. John’s. His role in SAAC this year included being a part of the SAAC executive board, and he was the chair for the Kids Fighting Hunger committee. SAAC President Ethan Huber is another person who has made a positive impact during his time with the committee. Huber is a senior captain for the swim and dive team at St. John’s.

“We can find success all we want on the field, or in the pool in my case, or on the court, but at the end of the day, it’s about what we are able to do [for] the community. That includes the community here on campus, but also throughout the state,” Huber said.

As a senior who is going to leave campus in a couple of months, Huber believes this campus is in good hands with how committed this campus is to serving the community.

“There are so many people that believe [in] packaging these meals, or making these donations, or seeing that Special Olympics athletes succeed,” Huber said. “All those things are so important to what we mean as a community, and, to be honest with you, I am just so grateful to be a part of it.”

During his time here at St. John’s, Huber has helped create a Special Olympics program that has opened up opportunities for Special Olympics athletes. St. John’s will host a Special Olympics swim meet in April.

“There is so much good here,” SJU Athletic Director Bob Alpers said. “Our students, they are so full of goodness.”

Alpers had high praise for SAAC, what they stand for and what they do. He is extremely proud of their work. The St. John’s SAAC looks to continue the great work they have done through packing events like this and other various initiatives in the future.