Panthers spread holiday cheer in the community


With the holidays as a background, FIU’s student-athletes, faculty and staff were all about giving back during the last week, delivering toys and spreading cheer throughout South Florida.

The holidays are a time of celebration, and at FIU we like to look back on the year that was, while looking, ever hopeful, at the year that is about to begin.

The President’s Holiday Celebration earlier this month served, per tradition, as the perfect setting to do this, always keeping in mind those less fortunate.

This year, faculty/staff and administrators showed up in droves, bringing along more than 1,350 toys to be distributed among organizations in our community.

On Dec. 16, we tagged along as member of the FIU football team delivered toys to the Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation. The Panthers toured of the facility, meeting fans along the way, as well as boy who had had open-heart surgery a couple of days before.

“Walking around the hospital we were trying to inspire these little kids,” said #82, Greg Ellingson, “but seeing what they’re going through in turn inspired us.”

A week after visiting Miami Children’s with the football team, Roary led the way at the Lil’ Abner Mobile Home Park in Sweetwater, helping FIU staff deliver toys and spread cheer among the children there on Dec. 21.

During the last week, FIU’s toy distribution brought smiles to countless children at schools, clinics, churches and community-based organizations from Homestead to Palm Beach. Among them are community partners with the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine’s Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP Program, the United Ways of Miami-Dade and Broward and the Urban Leagues of Miami.