March 10, 2010
LEXINGTON, Ky. – In a continuing effort to recognize the accomplishments of student-athletes beyond the field of competition, the Southeastern Conference once again highlighted a Community Service Team for women’s basketball for the 2009-2010 season.
This marks the 12th year for the SEC Community Service Team for women’s basketball as well as for men’s basketball. All 20 league-sponsored sports have had a Community Service Team since 2004, with at-large teams for men’s and women’s sports being chosen from 1999-2003. The SEC began this concept with a football Community Service Team in 1994.
Junior guard Carly Morrow (Chattanooga, Tenn.), was chosen as UK’s representative on the squad. She has been an active volunteer at Kentucky during her three seasons as a Wildcat, including volunteering at the YMCA’s Fall Festival, taking part in the Yates Elementary Awards Ceremony which honored fourth and fifth graders for their performance on Standardized Testing and helping serve breakfast to those staying at the Hope Center, a shelter for women in Lexington. She also collected and donated winter clothing to be sent to Hazard, Ky., as a part of Wildcat Warmth, participated in Cats Cultivating Character, where student-athletes teach character lessons once a month to third-grade students at a local elementary school and played bingo at Kentucky’s Children’s Hospital.
Also named to the SEC Community Service Team were:
Alyson Butler, Alabama
Junior • Guard • Cleveland, Tenn.
5th Grade Fastbreak Program, Project Angel Tree, University of Alabama Halloween Extravaganza … SEC “Together We Can” Drive … Beat Auburn, Beat Hunger canned food drive … Pen Pal’s for UA’s Kid’s Club … volunteered at the Glen Haven Retirement and Rehabilitation facility along with the Capstone Village Retirement and Assisted Living facility … the United Cerebral Palsy of West Alabama and Girls Scouts of America … speaker at University Place Elementary during Drug Awareness Week … collector for Easter Seals Walk and mentor for Crossing Points Golf. Tournament.
Ashlea Williams, Arkansas
Junior • Post • Springfield, Mo.
Sweat Hawg program … Life Source Hog Breakfast (2 events) … Adopted an Angel Tree Kid … Ark children’s Hospital … Visited Butterfield Trail Retirement Center … Charter Vista for at Risk kids … Razorback Basketball Camp … MLK Youth Clinic.
Reneisha Hobbs, Auburn
Junior • Guard • Huntsville, Ala.
Attended Rebuild Enterprise Day-worked on destroying some homes that had been damaged in the tornado … Camp Mountain Top at Lakeview Baptist Church (summer day camp for handicapped children)-she was the featured guest speaker … Downtown Trick or Treat … Served as a mentor to a student at Yarbrough Elementary School … Cary Woods Elementary School After School Program (spoke briefly on staying healthy/exercising, then exercised and played relay games with the kids) … Helped set up and run the Storybook Farms Kentucky Derby … Was special guest at AU Breast Cancer Awareness Illumination Ceremony at Cater Hall … FACES (Foundation for Auburn’s Continuing Enrichment in Schools) Fun Run/Walk … Volunteered at East Alabama Food Bank.
Steffi Sorensen, Florida
Senior • Guard • Jacksonville, Fla.
Forest Pines Community Center: talks and interacts with young children … Shands Hospital: plays and interacts with young children waiting to be seen by doctors … Gator Plunge: assigned to the Botanical Garden where she assisted with environmental issues by cutting bamboo … Elementary Schools: attends numerous local schools, reading and interacting with students … Project Respect Yourself Back to School event: helped with a mini basketball clinic for under privileged kids … Special Olympics Bowling: interacted and bowled with participants.
Ashley Houts • Georgia
Senior • Guard • Trenton, Ga.
Helped Lady Bulldog Basketball’s efforts to obtain donated bicycles and provide them to worthy children for Christmas both in 2007-09 … Volunteered at the Athens Boys and Girls Club … Visited patients at Athens’ St. Mary’s Hospital … Took part in “play date” with Clarke Central High School students … Volunteered to assist the Special Olympics in her hometown of Trenton, Ga. … Spoke to children at elementary schools both in her hometown and in Athens … Visited the Ronald McDonald House and visited with families staying at the facility … Was a “celebrity” guest for the dunking booth at the Barrow Elementary Spring Fling in Athens … Assisted with summer camps with youth programs in her hometown … Organized and orchestrated individual sessions for children in Ellijay, Ga., mentoring and working with them … Assisted former Lady Bulldog Lady Grooms with a basketball camp in the Atlanta area and volunteered to assist neighborhood children Grooms mentors … Spoke to church youth group and shared testimony in Buford, Ga. … Volunteered and assisted with open field day event for Athens-area children at the UGA Intramural Fields … Visited with children of employees of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow while there as a member of the U.S. National Team competing in the U21 World Championships.
Allison Hightower, LSU
Senior • Guard • Arlington, Texas
Led a free basketball clinic at the Baton Rouge Recreational Department’s Sports Academy that taught children fundamentals of the game and then signed autographs … Hightower and the Lady Tigers have joined former LSU star and 2009 WNBA champion Temeka Johnson and her H.O.P.E. Foundation in speaking to schools around the Baton Rouge area about the importance of getting an education … The group also donated shoes to deserving children at Magnolia Woods Elementary School, LSU and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System announced a collaboration between basketball and education … Hightower was adopted by Southeast Middle School in Baton Rouge as part of the program where she has routinely made speaking visits.
Alliesha Easley, Ole Miss
Junior • Guard • Cordova, Tenn.
Adopted a family during Christmas … Donated and collected money for Thanksgiving food baskets, Participated in shoe and canned food drives at Ole Miss.
Bethany Washington • Mississippi State
Senior • Forward • Houma, La.
SEC Food Drive … Assisted with and donated candy to the Mississippi State Halloween Carnival … Participated in the Starkville Academy Fall Festival and Starkville School donations.
Jewel May, South Carolina
Junior • Forward • Conyers, Ga.
Edventure Children’s Museum Opening … Redeemer Lutheran Church Camp … Hyatt Park Basketball Clinic … Richland 101 … Junior Gamecock Club Back to School Bash … Columbia Parks and Rec Basketball Clinics … Boys and Girls Club Christmas Party.
Glory Johnson, Tennessee
Sophomore • Forward • Knoxville, Tenn.
Atria Weston Place- speaker at an employee appreciation dinner for those who work at the assisted living facility … Hoops for Hope basketball tournament- helped coach games for kids with Down Syndrome … Habitat for Humanity- helped raise the outside walls of a house for a single mother and her kids … Teams for Toys- purchased, wrapped and gave Christmas presents to underprivileged kids … East Tennessee Children’s Hospital- visited sick children to help brighten their day … Participant in the MLK Jr Day parade.
Jessica Mooney • Vanderbilt
Senior • Guard • Nashville, Tenn.
Has organized a number of trips to local schools to talk with children on issues ranging from healthy eating habits to the importance of staying in school … Has also been extremely visible at events such as the Kidney Walk and the Buddy Walk … A member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Mooney has been a part of numerous department-wide initiatives such as the annual holiday party for Ross Elementary students … Spent the summer prior to her senior season as an intern with the Tennessee Department of Health’s Division of Minority Health and Disparity Elimination, which engages in projects providing essential leadership to address major public health needs … Her basketball career began with the Charles Davis Foundation, which gives inner city youth positive role models to build character and self esteem. She is now a mentor within the program.
