by Sam Atkinson, Gallaudet University/Chair of the CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness Committee and
Ryan Klinkner, Saint John’s University (Minn.)/Vice-Chair of the CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness Committee
The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Goodwill and Wellness Committee is excited to announce details for its annual ‘CoSIDA Cares’ events set to take place in Orlando at the 2013 CoSIDA Convention from June 12-15. This year the committee has a full slate of events taking place to help
benefit this year’s charity, the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, the largest provider of homeless services in the area.
Details on all ‘CoSIDA Cares’ events and the annual Goodwill Committee meeting at the convention is below.
CoSIDA 5K Fun Run/Walk (Thursday, June 13)
A record 113 participants raised $1,171 in the second annual CoSIDA 5k fun run/walk at last summer’s convention in St. Louis. For the third consecutive year, the CoSIDA Executive Board has pledged its support of the Goodwill and Wellness Committee to organize and run this event along with the local organizing committee.
This year’s CoSIDA 5K fun run/walk is scheduled to start at 6 a.m. Thursday, June 13, at the Hawks
Landing Golf Course located on the hotel’s grounds.
This year’s registration fee is $10 per participant or $20 for a family of three or more. All of the proceeds will go to the Coalition for the Homeless. All participants will need to sign a waiver before participating.
The 5K run/walk is open to all CoSIDA and NACDA & Affiliate Convention attendees along with their spouses, friends and children. Water will be supplied throughout the course for all to stay hydrated, and a hotel representative will be on hand for any emergencies.
“Once again the CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness Committee is proud to offer several activities to get our membership active and giving back while at our annual convention,” said CoSIDA Goodwill Committee Chair Sam Atkinson, Sports Information Director at Gallaudet University. “The continued support from the CoSIDA Executive Board has been amazing and we are excited to see our numbers in charity and fitness increase in Orlando. We know this year’s race is early but we hope our members come out in force as we continue to build off the momentum of our previous two 5K fun run/walks.”
Pre-Register for 5K fun run/walk: To help the committee plan for the 5K fun run/walk, please pre-register via email to Sam Atkinson at
sam.atkinson@gallaudet.edu with your name, school and how many participants.
The CoSIDA Goodwill Committee will run check-in at 5:30-6 a.m. at the start/finish line with a scheduled run/walk start time of 6 a.m. on Thursday. Prizes will be awarded for the top male and female finishers, as well as the top family. More information will be emailed out to all pre-registered participants before the convention plus information will be available at the CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness donation table during Wednesday’s registration 1:30-4:45 p.m. in the Palms Registration area.
The CoSIDA 5K Fun Run/Walk began to help improve health and fitness for athletic communications professionals and their families while attending the annual convention. The hope i
s to get individuals active and motivate them to make healthy lifestyle changes to diet and exercise.
Donation Drive for The Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida
The CoSIDA Goodwill Committee is proud to run its fourth annual donation drive for a local charity during CoSIDA registration. Donations will be collected at the Goodwill Committee table during registration on Wednesday, June 12, from 1:30-4:45 p.m. in the Palms Registration area.
The Coalition for the Homeless is most in need of the following: clothing – shirts, shoes, jackets, children’s and baby clothing and especially toiletries – travel-size shampoo, lotions, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, disposable razors and shaving cream. Monetary donations will also be accepted.
The CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness Committee collected nearly 1,000 items from convention attendees to help benefit homeless families and individuals during the past three conventions in San Francisco, Marco Island and St. Louis.
“We are excited to partner with the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida while in Orlando for this year’s 2013 CoSIDA Convention,” said CoSIDA Goodwill Committee Vice-Chair Ryan Klinkner, Athletic Media Relations Director at Saint John’s University (Minn.). “The support we have received from our colleagues the past several years and their participation in the 5K fun run/walks, service projects and donation drives shows they have a desire to give back and get fit.”
About the Coalition for the Homeless
Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida was created in 1987 by a group of concerned citizens who noted a growing problem of homelessness in the community. Its mission is to transform the lives of homeless men, women and children by providing crucial services to end their crisis of homelessness. The Coalition is able to help over 750 people each day, including men, women and children. As one of the few emergency shelters that accept intact families in Central Florida, the organization helps a large number of families in need of shelter and support. On any given night, the Coalition provides services to over 250 children, with a current average age of eight years old. Last year, the Coalition served more than 300,000 meals.
The Coalition’s goal is to return its residents to self-sufficiency through counseling, job training and educational programs. While its clients work to reestablish productive lives, the Coalition provides transitional housing and daycare for their children until they are ready to move back into the community. More information about the Coalition for the Homeless can be found on its website –
www.centralfloridahomeless.org. Click
here to see Coalition videos.
Annual CoSIDA Convention Service Project
A service project will be conducted for the fourth time in the past five years as a group of CoSIDA Convention attendees, who sign up, will go to the Coalition for the Homeless on Saturday, June 15,
to volunteer their time from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. CoSIDA volunteers will help staff the Coalition for the Homeless “Water Day” for the children at the shelter. There will be a moon bounce, slip and slides, face painting, bubbles and a pizza party for the children.
If you are interested in securing a spot for the service project, please contact Sam Atkinson (
sam.atkinson@gallaudet.edu) and Ryan Klinkner (
rklinkner@csbsju.edu) with your name, school. Spouses, friends and children over 16 are encouraged to volunteer as well. If you can only volunteer a few hours we can run two shifts if there is enough interest.
Goodwill Committee Meeting
The annual CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness Committee convention meeting is scheduled for 8-9 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, in the Aruba room for those interested in attending. For more information about the CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness Committee, or if you are interested in joining the committee, please contact Sam Atkinson (
sam.atkinson@gallaudet.edu) or Ryan Klinkner (
rklinkner@csbsju.edu).