FROM STAFF REPORTS

MONTEVALLO – The University of Montevallo Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s efforts to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation received a boost Oct. 1 when the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced that it will match all funds raised by the group.

For the upcoming 2013-2014 academic year, every dollar that a SAAC at a NCAA Division II school raises beyond last year’s total will be matched, up to $1,000 per school.

To kick off fundraising for the 2013-2014 academic year, NCAA Division II will be holding its third annual Week of Wishes, starting Oct. 4 and continuing until Oct. 15. The Week of Wishes event is an opportunity to raise funds for Make-A-Wish, and the courageous kids they serve.

The Falcons will be hosting their Hunt for a Wish on Monday, Oct. 7 as part of the Week of Wishes. For more information, visit http://montevallofalcons.com/Athletics/Hunt_for_a_Wish.

Pablo Martell, the University of Montevallo SAAC President, is excited about the group’s involvement with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“I had a chance to meet a Make-A-Wish family at our conference meeting last year,” said Martell, a member of the Montevallo baseball team. “When you see someone overcoming a challenge or hardship when they’re granted that wish, it’s a big deal to the family. I take it as a personal challenge to motivate the rest of the Montevallo community to get involved.”

Student-Athlete Advisory Committees at NCAA Division II schools across the country raised $517,465 for Make-A-Wish during the 2012-2013 academic year, besting last year’s efforts by almost $50,000 and setting a new NCAA Division II fundraising record.

Since beginning its alliance with Make-A-Wish in 2003, NCAA Division II has raised more than $3 million toward granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. These wishes can serve as a game changer in children’s fights against their illnesses, helping them feel better, and in some cases even get better.

Last year, more than 80 percent of the NCAA Division II member schools participated in raising money for Make-A-Wish, including the University of Montevallo.

Martell also sees the partnership as a way to bring the student body and the athletic department closer.

“It’s a way for everyone to come out and have a lot of fun,” Martell said. “We’re trying to raise as much as we can for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.”