Step Forward Day Recap: Cross Country/Track
9/10/2018 9:20:00 AM | Cross Country, Track
MALIBU, California --Â The 30th annual Step Forward Day was celebrated at Pepperdine on Saturday (Sept. 8), and the Waves' athletic teams were out in full force serving the community.
Thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends, as well as dozens of campus organizations, including classes, dorms, fraternities, sororities, and clubs, came together to assist nonprofit organizations, schools, churches and parks throughout Southern California.
Step Forward Day began in 1988 when two Pepperdine students recognized the need for volunteers in the local community and sought to encourage service among their peers. The projects began as small acts of service from helping to repair homes of local senior citizens to planting gardens at Webster Elementary School. Today the annual event has grown not only across Southern California, but also to communities nationwide as Pepperdine alumni step forward to help.
The cross country and track teams stayed on campus to work with an organization called Feed My Starving Children. Freshman runner Jillian Mielke provided this account of the day:
While other groups commuted off campus for Step Forward Day, the cross country and track teams stayed on campus to work with an organization called Feed My Starving Children. Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit, Christian organization that specializes in feeding children around the world. Feed My Starving Children thrives off of donations and volunteers to package boxes of nutritious meals.
First, the volunteer group -- consisting of the cross country team, basketball team, housing groups and professors -- gathered in Firestone Fieldhouse to learn about the organization. Next, the volunteers learned how to pack the boxes with meals of vitamins, veggies, soy and rice. Together, we packed 170 boxes in a span of two hours, creating approximately 101,736 meals. These meals will be immediately shipped around the world, and as a result will improve many communities by providing nutritious food to children.
Working with Feed My Starving Children was an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday morning. Because the volunteers were split into teams, we were able to form bonds and engage in friendly competition with other teams. However, the experience was more than just enjoyable; it was eye opening. It is important for young adults to be exposed to the issue of global food insecurity so we can want to make a difference. This opportunity has taught me to be thankful that I have easy access to food, and in turn, I want to give back and be part of communities that provide the same access to everyone.
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Players Mentioned
