Polar Bears in the Community
All Bowdoin students share a commitment to the common good, and Polar Bear athletes are no exception. Teams and individuals actively participate in service events; some through the College's Joseph McKeen Center for the Common Good, and some self-initiated. Here are just a few examples of what Polar Bears are doing to engage in the Brunswick and surrounding mid-coast Maine communities.
For over a decade, Common Good Day has served as an opportunity for Bowdoin College students, faculty, staff, and alumni to join with community members to learn about local organizations through service. This event has consistently served not only as a way to get important work done for individual non-profit organizations, but also to introduce students to the community in which they live. |
Girls and Women in Sports Day is an annual event where female student-athletes from Bowdoin introduce local elementary, middle, and high school girls to a wide variety of sports. The event takes place at Farley Field House on the Bowdoin College campus. Annually, the event attracts over 150 participants from the Midcoast area. |
Each May, Polar Bear student-athletes spearhead the "Lose the Shoes" 3v3 soccer tournament at Bowdoin. "Lose the Shoes" is a growing fundraising campaign by Grassroots Soccer to raise funds to fight HIV and AIDS in Africa. The tournament also connected with the Frannie Peabody Center in Maine to focus on and raise money for HIV and AIDS efforts here in Maine. |
Each spring, Bowdoin hosts a Relay For Life event that raises money for the American Cancer Society. Relay for Life is an all night walk-a-thon where the Bowdoin community comes together celebrate those surviving, remember those lost and fight back against Cancer. This past year, participants raised over $50,000 for the cause. |
The Bowdoin College men's and women's ice hockey teams annually host a "Skate With the Polar Bears" food drive at Watson Arena. Admission to the event is one non-perishable food item for the local food bank, given at its time of greatest need: during the holiday season. |
Student-athletes are given ample opportunity to serve through local organizations, such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Special Olympics of Maine. This past spring, the men's basketball team volunteered at the Maine Special Olympics festival. |
In an example of team-initiated service, the Bowdoin women's ice hockey team raised funds for the Breast Health Center at Mid Coast Hospital this past winter by accepting donations for Pink Ribbons at home games. The team presented a check for $1,175 to the Hospital in May. |
