Gryphons Give-Back

Impact of giving back at the heart of community service: Gryphon Student-Athletes Stand out in a Crowd in Community Service

Gryphon student-athletes have a culture of excellence and success, one defined by a commitment to their team. Less conspicuous, but just as impressive is an enduring commitment to their community.

During the 2018-19 season Gryphon Athletics continued to make a significant impact not only on the field of play but also in the community of Guelph.

One of the most popular months on the fundraising calendar for the Gryphons is October, Cancer Awareness Month. A total of five Gryphon teams participated in a ‘Think Pink’ or ‘Shoot for the Cure’ initiative to raise money for local cancer charities including Field Hockey, Football, Women’s Soccer, Men’s Rugby and Men’s and Women’s Basketball.

Shoot for the Cure Basketball Game to support Breast Cancer Awareness

“Regardless of who you are, your life or the life of someone you care about has been touched by cancer’s devastating effects,” commented fourth-year field hockey student-athlete Rudi Ballard. “It’s important for student-athletes to be involved in these movements because we serve as leaders within the school community, and as teams we have a platform that allows us to reach more people and I believe we have a responsibility to use those platforms for positive change.”

The Men’s Rugby team kicked off the month of October hosting a ‘Ruck Cancer’ game where the team sported ‘Rugby vs. Cancer’

Members of the men’s rugby team shave their mustaches after raising over $12,500 for Movember

shorts and socks and took donations. The team didn’t stop their charitable efforts there and went on to raise over $12,500 for the Movember charity.

On the Football field, the Gryphons held their annual ‘ThinkPink’ game on October 13. Prior to the game the team created a Pink Wall in the University Centre and raised money from the sale of pink mittens. In total the team raised $4,500 from donations from the Parents of Players group, Offensive Line and the Football Advancement team. Prior to kickoff players’ family members that have had breast cancer or have been affected by breast cancer joined the team on the field to be honoured during the coin toss.

Jr Gryphons cheering on the women’s hockey team at the Bell Let’s Talk game

A variety of initiatives continued throughout the 2018-19 season with tireless work done on large campaigns like Bell Let’s Talk, Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kid's Sake, and She’s Got Game. Gryphon student-athletes understand that success in this area is just as important as the result of any competition.

#GryphonsGiveBack

See all of our yearly initiatives and find out how you can give back > gryphons.ca/gryphonsgiveback

Gryphon teams come together for the annual Bowl for Kids Sake event to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guelph