Members of the Concordia Student Athletic Advisory Committee pose with the Outstanding Area Organization Award from the Special Olympics of North Dakota.

Posted: Dec 01, 2015

SAAC Earns Special Olympics Award

MOORHEAD, Minn. (12/01/15)—The Concordia Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) was awarded the Outstanding Area Organization Award presented by the Special Olympics of North Dakota at a banquet in the middle of November.

The Concordia student/athlete involvement group earned the award for their outstanding dedication to the mission of Special Olympics. The Cobber SAAC group volunteered with Special Olympics of North Dakota through participation in basketball practices and coaches clinics and by volunteering in other events throughout the year.

Ben Schneweis, who is the head men’s soccer coach at Concordia and is the Faculty Representative of the Concordia SAAC group, highlighted the selflessness of the group when it comes to working with the Special Olympians.

“It’s a great honor,” commented Schneweis. “It’s nice for an organization like the Special Olympics of North Dakota to recognize all the volunteer work our student/athletes do with the Special Olympics participants”.

In addition to helping out at basketball practices and with coaching clinics, the Concordia students volunteered with a bowling event, the state track and field meet held at Fargo Davies High School and also a pancake breakfast to raise money for the organization.

Concordia SAAC President Jordan Bolger said the volunteering they do with the Special Olympics of North Dakota has been one of the most rewarding experiences of his college career.

“I really look forward to helping out with all the activities we have with Special Olympics,” remarked Bolger. “All of the other Concordia athletes really enjoy volunteering and it has been fun to see how many people want to get involved.”

The Outstanding Area Organization Award was presented at the annual State Awards Banquet on Nov. 14 and Concordia Associate Athletic Director Rachel Bergeson and current SAAC member Hank Van Liew accepted the award on behalf of the entire Cobber student activity group.

“I was very proud of our student/athletes,” said Bergeson. It is a very prestigious award and to see our group recognized made it a very special night.”

The Concordia SAAC group will continue their partnership with North Dakota Special Olympics. It is just one of the many volunteer activities the student/athletes participate in during the year.

The next volunteer project for the group will be the annual Red Kettle Mascot Challenge for the Salvation Army. Concordia’s Kernel mascot and several student/athletes will be at the Scheels store in Fargo on Saturday, Dec. 5 to ring the bell for the Salvation Army as they try and raise more money than the mascot and student/athletes from North Dakota State and MSU Moorhead.