The CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness Committee is excited to announce details for its annual “CoSIDA Cares” events set to take place in Orlando at the 2014 CoSIDA Convention June 8-11. This year, the committee has a full slate of events taking place to once again help 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
Last year’s CoSIDA 5K fun run/walk raised over $1,000 for the Coalition for the Homeless as 90 people registered. For the fourth 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. on Tuesday, June 10, 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 CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness Committee is excited about this year’s activities to get our membership active and give back while at our annual convention,” CoSIDA Goodwill Committee Chair
Sam Atkinson, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications at Gallaudet University, said. “This year’s events would not be possible without the continued support of the CoSIDA Executive Board, dedicated members of the Goodwill and Wellness committee and the generosity of the CoSIDA membership, who have donated and participated in our past events.”
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 5K run/walk is open to all CoSIDA and NACDA Convention attendees along with their spouses, friends and children. Water will be supplied throughout the course for all to stay hydrated, and hotel security will be on hand for any emergencies.
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 Tuesday. 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. In addition, information will be available at the CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness donation table during Sunday’s convention registration 1-5 p.m. in the Palms Registration area.
The CoSIDA 5K Fun Run/Walk started in 2011 to help improve health and fitness for Sports Information Directors and their families while attending the annual convention. The hope is to get individuals active and motivate them to make healthy lifestyle changes to diet and exercise.
Service Project
A service project will be conducted for the fifth time in the past six years as a group of CoSIDA Convention attendees, who sign up, will go to the Coalition for the Homeless on Tuesday, June 10, to volunteer their time from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Like last year, the 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-and-ice cream party for the children. There will be a shuttle bus leaving from the Palms Registration area at 10:15 a.m. to take volunteers to the Coalition’s location in downtown Orlando.
If you are interested in securing a spot for the service project, please contact Sam Atkinson (
sam.atkinson@gallaudet.edu) and/or Ryan Klinkner (
rklinkner@csbsju.edu) with your name, school. Spouses, friends and children over 16 are encouraged to volunteer.
Donation Drive for The Coalition
The CoSIDA Goodwill Committee is proud to run its fifth annual donation drive for a local charity during CoSIDA registration. Donations will be collected at the Goodwill Committee table during registration on Sunday, June 8, from 1-5 p.m. in the Palms Registration area.
The Coalition is most in need of large flip flops (shower shoes) for men and baby diapers sizes 4, 5 and 6. They will also accept the following: clothing – shirts, 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 over 1,000 items from convention attendees to help benefit homeless families and individuals during the past four conventions in San Francisco, Marco Island, St. Louis and Orlando.
“We had a great time last year at the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida and are excited to return this year to interact with the residents,” CoSIDA Goodwill Committee Vice-Chair Ryan Klinkner, Athletic Media Relations Director at Saint John’s University (Minn.), said. “Thank you to our colleagues for continuing to donate, support, volunteer and participate in this events as we show CoSIDA Cares about giving back and getting fit.”
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 every 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.
Goodwill Committee Meeting
The annual CoSIDA Goodwill and Wellness Committee meeting is scheduled for Sunday, June 8, 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) and/or Ryan Klinkner (
rklinkner@csbsju.edu).