Global citizens committed to living a contributive life…
Learning the importance of service to others…
Leaders of culture in the community…
Leaders of humanism in society…
Our student-athletes live out these values treasured by the university beyond the classroom, field, pool, and track. In the midst of juggling school, sports, and extracurricular activities, they make the time to serve the community. Through our Lion Hearted Program, our student-athletes have various opportunities throughout the academic year to get involved and serve the community.
Check out some of the community outreach events and consider being a part of a team where the athletes value making a difference in the community:
Over the years the Lions have engaged in many different charitable activities including multiple beach clean-ups with the Orange County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. For more information on how you can get involved please click here.
PCRF Race for the Cure run to help raise money & awareness for the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. This event helps to fund research that will help find a cure for children's cancer. The PCRF strives to improve the care, quality of life, and the survival rate of children with malignant diseases.
In the fall our athletes take part in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Foundations Race for the Cure by participating and campaigning to help raise money for the Komen fund. Each year our athletes have helped to fund over four Komen-funded mammograms for underserved women in Orange County.
Hosting and volunteering in various soccer clinics to give back to the clubs and organizations that help foster the development of future soccer stars; including taking part in the well renowned Soccer for Hope summer camp. Soccer for Hope is a non-profit organization which is driven by their goal to raise funds and awareness for children with life threatening diseases. Since the organizations inception in 1998 it has progressed from an annual local event to a nationwide charity that benefits thousands of children and families. Along with working the camp, some of our Soka Lions also took the time to sign up to be possible bone marrow donors for the chance to help save the lives of those in need.
Volunteering free weekends at the Second Harvest Food Bank Orange County where our athletes spend time categorizing canned goods and boxing them up. There are 349,000 people in Orange County who don't know where their next meal will come from. Second Harvest is committed to ending hunger for them by providing food, nourishment, and hope.
Donating time at the CIF Southern Section Division III track & field prelims hosted by Costa Mesa High School, where our athletes worked the snack bar, raked the jump pits, and many other jobs needed to help Costa Mesa High School provide a fun, efficient and successful event for their participants.
The Breast Cancer Angels Organization provided funds, while eight student athletes spent one morning shopping and wrapping children's gifts for mothers who were too ill to move about.
The Athletic Department and the Orange County Rescue Mission have forged a strong partnership over the years. Through this partnership, our student athletes will have the opportunity to serve the least, the last, and the lost in our local community. Some community outreach events will include serving meals to the homeless, organizing food drives, assisting with food packaging, working at the ranch for abused and neglected youth, delivering Christmas gifts to families, and coordinating sports camps. Our student athletes will be able to reach out and lend a helping out in many practical ways.
In having our athletes take part in a wide variety of philanthropic activities it is our hope to create a tradition of servant leadership amongst our student-athletes. "Once Lion Hearted, ALWAYS Lion Hearted!"
