Outreach

The sun wasn’t even up and the temperature was a frigid 40-something degrees. But that didn’t dissuade more than 200 Lopes from showing up, ready to paint and landscape, for the semiannual Serve the City. And for just the second time, Parent Council members, along with other parent volunteers, served alongside their children to make a difference in the Canyon Corridor, helping move GCU and partner Habitat for Humanity of Central Arizona closer to their 700-homes-renovated goal.

Men’s soccer coach Schellas Hyndman wanted one thing for youth attending Saturday’s Future for KIDS soccer camp: To have fun. But he also encouraged them to exhibit good sportsmanship, practice, work hard and to value their education, much like the soccer players who conducted the camp do. More than 160 youth, ages 7 to 12, attended the event, which marked the first time GCU men’s soccer has hosted a camp with Future for KIDS, a mentorship program that emphasizes education, ethics and athletics.

It’s tax season. But before you file your 1040 or 1040A, don’t forget to take that one final step to make sure the funds you had diverted for GCU’s Donate to Elevate initiative go to where you want those funds to go — Habitat for Humanity, School Choice Arizona or for public/charter school extracurricular programs. Here’s a primer on what to do next.

Gwyn Satterlee, 7, cartwheels along the mat — and cartwheels and cartwheels — at her Chandler gymnastics studio. But it wasn’t long ago when the young gymnast didn’t have enough energy to do even one cartwheel. She was just 4 years old when she was diagnosed with leukemia. This year, she will serve as the honorary race starter for the 2019 Children’s Cancer Network Run to Fight Children’s Cancer, headed to the GCU campus for the ninth year on March 16.

The competitive nature of GCU’s baseball players paid off in successful marketing techniques Saturday as the Lopes encouraged shoppers at the Moon Valley Safeway to donate $1,334.73 and a record 132 turkeys for the St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance Super Saturday Turkey Drive. “They became advocates for food insecurity in Arizona,” said Debbie Accomazzo, GCU Community Outreach Manager.

It was a serendipitous moment when Jerry Colangelo dialed Nathan Johnson’s number, granting his wish for $5,000 in physical education equipment for his students at Westwood Elementary. Colangelo is connected to GCU as a benefactor whose name graces the Colangelo College of Business, and Johnson is a GCU alumnus. The Lopes were also involved in the Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers initiative as sponsors and as wish granters, and Dr. Kimberly LaPrade, the Dean of the College of Education, selected the names of three lucky teachers from the large red plastic apple.

A trio of Grand Canyon University students are accelerating their dream of eliminating the middle man for impoverished Peruvian coffee farmers. They will take their ideas to the Clinton Global Initiative University, a conference this weekend at the University of Chicago. “I think it is awesome to be able to see future world leaders, entrepreneurs and changers in one central location,’’ said Noah Wolfe, who has combined with Tim McGill and Aly Halbakken to form a nonprofit, Novella.

They programmed robots, made battery motors, concocted some gooey gak and, more importantly, got in touch with their inner scientist. Fourth- through eighth-grade girls were all about science, technology, engineering and math at the Girl Powered STEM Workshop on Saturday in the Engineering Building. The event, a partnership between the GCU Robotics Club and Strategic Educational Alliances, was inspired by VEX Robotics’ Girl Powered Initiative, which aims to redefine the face of STEM.

Time stood still Friday night at GCU Stadium for a group of families battling cancer. For those few hours, it was OK to take a break from the fight. The ninth annual Run to Fight Children’s Cancer event kicked off it’s season at the men’s soccer game, with children donning gold superhero capes getting the chance to walk out and be introduced with the Lopes’ soccer team. Run to Fight has raised nearly $600,000 for families battling the disease since its inception in 2011. This year’s race is scheduled for March 16.

The CONHCP community reached out in a big way last week by giving sports physicals to more than 300 Special Olympics athletes. It was the second-straight year that the Lopes volunteered for the Medfest event at the the Arizona Recreation Center for the Handicapped, located about 2 miles east of the University on Colter Street. “It gives me goosebumps,” said Stepanie Herrick Kays, an instructor with CONHCP’s family nurse practitioner program. “Children, especially children with low income, if there is something I can do to make their lives better I’m going to do it. If I can give them that sports physical they can’t afford, I’m hopeful going to give them a path. It’s a self-esteem boost and gives them that moment of pride.”