UW Golfers Give Back During Holiday Season
December 25, 2007 | Women's Golf
The spring season doesn't tee off until February, but the Wisconsin women 's golf team is keeping busy during the holiday season by giving back to various organizations throughout the Madison area. The Badgers recently served a meal at the Ronald McDonald House and have a few other events planned throughout the year.
'I'm very fortunate that my players welcome these volunteer opportunities and enjoy doing them,' head coach Todd Oehrlein said. 'They understand the value and importance of taking part in charity activities and they try to give back as much as possible.'
Aside from volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House, the team also has established a relationship with the UW Children's Hospital and the Light the Night Walk. For the past four years, the golfers have made visits to the hospital and have walked as a team in the Light the Night Walk which benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The Badgers are even going one step further to raise money for the society with the Badger Birdie Bandwagon. For this, the team is taking donations for the total number of birdies the Wisconsin golf team accumulates throughout the 2007-08 season. Assistant Coach Lori Murphy's son was diagnosed with Burkett's Lymphoma at age seven and today is a healthy teenager.
While these charity events bring the team closer and help build camaraderie for the spring golf season, Oehrlein knows that the Badgers enjoy volunteering for many other reasons that extend beyond the golf course.
'I think there's a feeling of purpose and I think they recognize that they're very fortunate to have the opportunities that they have,' Oehrlein said. 'When they have the opportunity to give back and to try to help certain organizations or people that are in a very difficult point in their life, I think that they see the value in that; and they really truly enjoy the opportunity to give back and to help do their small part. Everybody needs to do their part, if everybody could do a little more, I think people would benefit tremendously from it.'
Photos from the Badgers' volunteer work can be found in the gallery below.
