Wake Forest Men's Soccer Showcases Pro Humanitate Spirit with more than 1,200 of Community Service
5/9/2023 3:08:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Fueled by 100 percent participation, Wake Forest men’s soccer once again embodies the values of #ProHumanitate during the 2022-23 academic year.
Winning on the field and leaving an indelible mark off of it.
Over the last eight seasons, Wake Forest men's soccer has won more total matches, home matches and ACC regular season matches than any other team in the country. But the program has shown that they are more than just a collection of soccer student-athletes you see at Spry each fall. They value the opportunity to give back and use their knowledge, talents and compassion to better the lives of others.
This year, Wake Forest men's soccer logged 1,274 total hours of community service with 100 percent volunteer participation. The team partnered with 10 different organizations to provide 35 opportunities.
The 1,274 total hours ranked No. 1 for all NCAA Division I men's soccer programs nationally through Helper Helper. More than 300 NCAA universities use Helper Helper to track the work they are doing in the community, including 29 power-five institutions.
Including last year's Helper Helper Team Community Service Challenge Championship, the program has dedicated more than 2,300 hours to giving back to the greater Winston-Salem community since the beginning of the 2021-22 academic year.
This year, the program worked with the following service organizations along with campus-led events such as the Brian Piccolo Research Fund:
-
A Bed and a Book
-
Greater Winston-Salem Inc.
-
S.P.A.R.K.
-
Second Harvest Food Bank
-
The Walt Chyzowych Clinic
-
NC Fusion
-
Santa's Helper
"Giving happiness to others through paying it forward is something we pride ourselves on," said junior Hosei Kijima, a recent recipient of the ACC Top Six for Service award. "It is our responsibility as a program and university to support communities near us as much as possible through the act of giving, which we always love to do through impactful activities like A Bed and a Book."
Since the conclusion of the 2022 season, the team has spent cherished time with members of the Griffith Elementary School Soccer Club, coached more than 200 kids at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, provided leadership for local soccer players with NC Rush Triad, raised more than $12,000 for 43,000 meals for families in need at the annual Goal-A-Thon and packaged the food at Second Harvest Food Bank, spread joy by delivering Christmas presents during the holiday season, served food and drinks with The Dwelling and built beds for children in need.
Through these initiatives, the program has created a bond that has strengthened their intra-team relationships and sparked long-term commitment to giving back.
"It helps us as teammates grow closer with one another and remind us how lucky we are to be in a position to help those less fortunate than us," said sophomore Trace Alphin, who also earned the ACC Top Six for Service Award. "It's something we all take great pride in, especially when other programs start doing similar service."
