Duke Athletics Week of Service at the Boys and Girls Clubs.

Duke Athletics Returns the Support to the Durham Community

Students give back during a week of service

Duke Athletics Returns the Support to the Durham Community

Students give back during a week of service

After a year of great support for Duke Athletics from community members, Duke student-athletes gave back with a week of service at a variety of Durham local agencies.

From April 14-19, Duke Athletics staff and students went across the city and county to assist cancer patients, tutor young students, cultivate gardens to fight food insecurity and lead local youths in exercise and sports.

Among the participating groups were the Emily K Center, the Ronald McDonald House, Duke Campus Farm, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Durham and Orange Counties, SEEDS, the Durham Community Food Pantry, the Duke Cancer Center and Root Causes.

Duke Athletics leaders said the service week was in support of university priorities of building stronger partnerships with the Durham community.

“We aim to strengthen bonds with the Durham community through service and engagement with city organizations, social justice initiatives, and community events,” said Taren Moore, senior associate director of athletics for people, culture and community. “This initiative allows for our bi-annual ‘Days of Service’ campaign, where staff and student-athletes come together to volunteer and support local organizations and/or city-sponsored initiatives in our backyard of Durham. We are Blue Devils for the Bull City!”

During the visit to the Boys and Girls Clubs, athletes helped program leaders — At the Boys and Girls Clubs, student-athletes helped program leaders with lessons, programs and activities. They also help with homework and classroom worksheets. The students ranged from kindergarten to middle school. Pictured, Dylan Johnson, director of recreation facilities with Duke Recreation & Physical Education, gives a fist bump to a young student.

Playing basketball at the Emily K Center.

Nina King encourages young students and they do drawing activities. — Director of Athletics Nina King encourages young students as they do drawing activities.

At the Duke Campus Farm, the volunteers helped prepare new garden beds.

All week long, the program also sponsored a shoe drive collecting gently used or end-of-life athletic shoes. The donations went to organizations promoting environmental restoration and recycling efforts.

For more information about the week, visit GoDuke.com.

Photos by Duke Athletics and Jared Lazarus/University Communications and Marketing

Volleyball player Rachel Richardson offers lessons at the Boys and Girls Clubs. — Volleyball player Rachel Richardson offers tips on setting the ball at the Boys and Girls Clubs.

Staff and students prepared meals for families at the Ronald McDonald House.

Three against one wrestling at the Boys and Girls Clubs. — Gaetano Console, a junior on the wrestling team, lifts Boys and Girls Clubs members while playing around in the gym.