Alice Lloyd Athletes Spread Postive Message of Operation UNITE
Pippa Passes, KY- The Alice Lloyd College athletic program, got the new school year off to a fabulous start on September 15th, by participating in the Operation UNITEYouth Summit. The event was held at Perry County Central High School in Hazard, KY.
ALC's participation was as a service for the "Champions of Character" program, which is unique to NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) affiliated colleges around the country. This program is used to promote five core values in the community. These values include: Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Servant Leadership, and Sportsmanship.
Operation UNITE programs provide positive messages that include vital information about topics including: avoiding peer pressure, demonstrating positive leadership qualities, and offering guidance in the formation of anti-drug UNITE clubs in area schools.
The event was highlighted by motivational youth speaker and comedian, Matt Bellace. Matt encourages students to pursue "natural highs," make healthy choices, and become effective leaders at school and within their community.
Champions of Character liaison for Alice Lloyd, Mrs. Betty Noble-Acevedo, who also serves as head women's basketball coach, had volunteers from every intercollegiate sport join her in assisting with this worthy endeavor.
The male student-athletes assisted in setting up the programs for the organization. The ladies worked with the Kentucky National Guard and actually acted out the various demonstrations to an enthusiastic audience.
Coach Noble Acevedo, felt the event went very well. 'I thought it was good for the student-athletes to get a firsthand look of how hard UNITE works to get the right message across to the students of Eastern Kentucky. A tremendous amount of effort went into organizing this program, and we are glad they invited us to participate. "
She further added, "I was also pleased to see how our students were truly enjoying themselves, and how eager they jumped right in to help with the prompts. The men were especially energetic."
Junior basketball player Nicole Lutes stated, "I never realized that Operation UNITE did so much for this area. It feels great knowing I was able to assist in something that could make an important difference in the life of a child."