Hockey players participate in MS Walk
5/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
May 19, 2010
Free time is rare for cadets at the Air Force Academy. However, on Saturday, May 8th, five members of the Falcon hockey team spent their day participating in the Colorado Springs Multiple Sclerosis Walk.
Juniors Jacques Lamoureux and Brad Sellers, sophomores Scott Mathis and Paul Weisgarber and freshman Danny Durham took photos and signed autographs with fans, helped with the clean-up and also competed in a shootout with members of the Colorado College hockey team.
"I think that volunteering is a really important part of being a team in this community," Durham said. "Giving back always feels really rewarding, and something as small as giving up a Saturday can make a big difference to someone. I was happy to help out for this cause, and feel lucky to be a part of this group."
"To me, volunteering in our community is very important because we get so much support from our community already," Sellers said. "Our fans are responsible for all of the sellouts that we get to play in front of every home weekend, and they also pour out a bunch of support for us that we never get to see. Because of that, and the reason it was for such a great cause, we had no problem giving up a Saturday to go out and volunteer because we knew that we would have a great time doing it."
Events such as the Walk, have helped Colorado raise over a million dollars for the MS Society. The Noble Group of Charities also topped the $100,000 mark in money raised over the past 10 years for children's cancer camps and MS charities.
"Having the opportunity to get into the community and give back a little bit is always gratifying," Weisgarber said. "Athletics provided a lot of similar opportunities to give back and this has shown me that one person can really make a difference. I think a lot of people don't always realize that volunteering at events like the MS Walk for a few hours on a weekend can touch a lot of lives. The MS Walk was a great opportunity to help raise money and educate people about MS. It was a very rewarding experience that I hope to be involved with again next year."
"I enjoy volunteering because it is my opportunity to give back to the community that supports us," Lamoureux said. "The reason I am where I am today is because of all the people that have helped and encouraged me along the way. I feel it is my duty and obligation to try to give back the way that others gave to me. I may not be helping the people that helped me but it goes along the lines of `paying it forward'. I enjoy the interaction with the people and friendships you make along the way."
"Personally, I have an aunt who has MS so it hit a little closer to home," Mathis said. "I know how tough it is to battle with MS because it's in my family. It's a very challenging diagnosis to live with. People getting together to do positive things is awesome and I'm just glad we were able to do a tiny part."
