The 草莓社区 field hockey team raised more than $1,200 to purchase 40 "Sweet Cases" for foster children through the nonprofit organization Together We Rise. They decorated the duffel bags, filled them with items, and returned them to the organization for dispersal. The project had special meaning for top fundraiser Bri Miller, who is adopted. (Photos by Ashley Kisner)

Field hockey team preps ‘Sweet Cases’ for foster children

by Christopher Clymer Kurtz

It鈥檚 too often a sobering reality: When children move into a foster care home, they have to transport their belongings in trash bags.

Senior Mikayla Martin, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, with a bag she decorated for a field hockey service project.

草莓社区 freshman player Bri Miller says that although she鈥檚 never been in foster care, she is adopted, and so a fundraiser held recently by the team had special meaning for her.

鈥淚t kind of hit home,鈥� she said, 鈥渏ust because I realize that not a lot of people pay attention to foster kids in the system. I made this my personal mission.鈥�

Through , a nonprofit organization that helps improve the lives of foster children, the team raised funds to purchase 鈥淪weet Cases.鈥�

Each duffel bag contains a blanket, coloring book, crayons, and hygiene kit. After volunteer groups prepare and decorate the bags, they are returned for distribution to children in foster care.

The team鈥檚 goal was to raise enough money for 17 bags 鈥� but they ended up with over $1,200, more than enough for 40 bags, which they decorated last week. As for Miller鈥檚 efforts? She was responsible for over a third of the team鈥檚 take.

The team solicited donations for the project, and dedicated a game at which people could make pledges of support. The goalie鈥檚 parents, for example, donated $5 for every save.

鈥淭hat was our best game as a team,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 win, but it was definitely a good game.鈥� The fundraiser aspect, she said, 鈥渕ade it ten times better.鈥�

From left: Field hockey team members Kelsey Troyer, Madeline Mast, Emily Augsburger, Lauren Hartzler, Clover Cooper, Emily Price and Bri Miller decorate bags.

Miller did not expect to attend EMU, yet has found a home here.

鈥淏ri is a great example of a student who unexpectedly finds EMU and then experiences it as 鈥榟ome,鈥欌�� said Coach . 鈥淢any student-athletes have no idea of what EMU is like until they come to visit, and then they love it.鈥�

Miller is studying . EMU was 鈥渘ot her top college choice by any means,鈥� she said. It was too far 鈥� over three hours 鈥� from her Gloucester, Virginia, home, and she doesn鈥檛 like cold.

Even though she wasn鈥檛 sure she wanted to play field hockey in college, EMU was out to recruit her, and she decided to visit the campus.

鈥淚 decided, 鈥楲et me just visit,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淵ou know, how hard can a visit be?鈥�

So, she did: 鈥淎s soon as I got here 鈥� I didn鈥檛 even get out of the car yet 鈥� I said, 鈥楾his feels like home. I鈥檓 coming here,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淚鈥檇 never had that feeling, even with my top three other choices. I talked with the coach, and I was just like, 鈥榊ep.鈥� So I committed that day, the first time I was here.鈥�

Discussion on “Field hockey team preps ‘Sweet Cases’ for foster children”

  3. Great endeavor. Harrisonburg/Rockingham County, Virginia, has had the highest rate of placement of children in foster care in the commonwealth. This is a tangible bridge to build deeper connections to these needs in the community with a campus community rooted in programs addressing trauma and transformative healing. You also graduate some great foster care social workers and child advocates.

Comments are closed.