Black Bears lend a hand to communities

ORONO – The University of Maine’s varsity women’s soccer team kicked off several weeks of community events organized by the school’s athletic teams with a skills clinic Sunday morning.

Activities ranging from cleanup at the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter to free ice skating on Halloween at Alfond Arena are scheduled for the coming weeks to give college athletes the opportunity to serve local communities and children.

Sunday’s “Bears of Tomorrow” program for children in grades six through 12 attracted about 10 high school girls who practiced soccer ball handling techniques with several teammates and coaches. Afterward, the girls cheered for the women’s team in its game against Binghamton.

“The best thing about people coming out is bringing fans to the games,” said associate Head Coach Jackie Gebhart. “And our team likes to get out and give back to the community. We want to keep the best talent in Maine at the university.”

Student-athlete services coordinator Brandi Rideout said the community service initiatives were “not at all” related to recent incidents in which five UM athletes and an assistant coach were summoned or charged with offenses, some of which were alcohol-related.

Rideout said most of the community service events had been scheduled in August.

On Oct. 26, Black Bear athletes from several teams will clean and paint the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter.

On Halloween, the women’s ice hockey team will host a Halloween skate at Alfond Arena 6:15-7:15 p.m. And the department’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will sponsor a “Trick or Eat” campaign to encourage teams to go trick-or-treating to collect canned goods for the local food cupboard.

Ice hockey players Billy Ryan and Bret Tyler volunteer at Eastern Maine Medical Center on its pediatric floor on a weekly basis, and basketball player Amanda Tewksbury formed a group for Christian athletes. She and the group visit community groups and recently appeared at the Bangor Christian Schools.

To find out how University of Maine athletes can help in your community, contact Rideout at 581-1828.