Dec. 18, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Members of the Maryland Track and Field team took time off from studying to make arts and crafts with children at the Betty Ann Krahnke Center for New Beginnings during the Center's annual holiday party.
Junior sprinter Alexis Booker reflects on volunteering: "It was an awesome experience. One of the mothers said, `Thank you so much! I haven't seen my daughter smile like this in three years!' It was heartwarming to know that doing something so little can have such a significant impact on someone else."
The team helped the children make gingerbread houses, reindeer hats and holiday cards.
"It was good to connect with the kids and to see them smile." states sophomore hurdler Legonn Haskins. Freshmen high jumper, Dwight Barbiasz, adds, "All the parents were taking so many pictures and you could just tell that there was that good feeling with everyone after we left."
The Betty Ann Krahnke Center for New Beginnings (BAK), founded in 2000, is the only domestic violence shelter serving Montgomery County, Maryland. With a 54-bed capacity, BAK provides safety for women and children, support in trauma recovery, and empowerment to increase their personal safety within the community. For more information about BAK, please visit the Family Services section of The National Center for Children and Families website at http://www.nccf-cares.org.
