Community Engagement at UKAD
University of Kentucky student-athletes are encouraged to be active in our local, regional, national, and international communities. Through giving back, student-athletes can positively impact lives and add value to those in the community. The UK Athletics department have developed partnerships that are intentionally selected to help student-athletes help others. The UK Athletics department assists student-athletes by providing impactful community engagement opportunities.
In order to best keep record of hours served, the athletics department asks that our student-athletes use the Community Engagement Form to log their hours. Through this collection platform, we can use it as a reference for resume building as well as award selection. It is the goal that each student-athlete serve at least a minimum of 5 hours per academic year.
Each December, a group of UK student-athletes attend this annual UK Children’s Hospital event, where volunteers spend their time visiting and eating breakfast with children and their families, helping Santa Clause distribute presents. Afterwards, volunteers spend time visiting with patients at the hospital whose physical conditions do not allow them to attend the breakfast.
During the holiday season, student-athletes volunteer their time ringing bells for the “Red Kettle Campaign” to help raise money for the Lexington Salvation Army. UK Athletics has won the Fayette County trophy for “most time given” 7 of the last 9 years.
Student-athletes visit a number of local schools speaking to children on a variety of topics, including the importance of an education, good decision-making skill, and setting goals. Student-athletes also spend countless hours volunteering for after school mentor/reading programs, including the annual Fayette County Read Across America celebration.
Alumni Wildcats in the Community
Current Wildcats aren’t the only people making a difference, though. Many former UK athletes still embody the servant-leader mentality UK Athletics helps instill in them. Read more below about alumni serving in the community.
