HAMMOND, Ind. – Over the course of the 2015-16 academic year, the Purdue University Calumet athletic department actively helped out the local communities as student-athletes participated in a number of community service projects and other events to help serve others.

In total, the Peregrine athletic department accumulated more than 1,200 hours of community service.

“Community service and engagement is a point of pride for our athletic department,” Director of Athletics Rick Costello said. “Our student-athletes can make a tremendous difference in our communities and 2015-16 was just another great example of the amount of service our teams have contributed.”

To start off the year last August, 121 participants from all 12 sports came together to help out with the University's Move in Day.

Purdue Calumet student-athletes assisted other students in moving into their rooms at University Village Housing by carrying suitcases and boxes full of clothing and other times, TV's and more from their cars to their rooms to help the stressful transition of moving day run smoother.

During the winter, 95 student-athletes also helped with the Hammond Holiday Parade, where they gave out candy and took photos with the community of Hammond in the annual event.

Purdue Calumet's volleyball team was recently involved in the Mom Prom, which helped raise awareness for Rett syndrome. The student-athletes helped with raffle prizes, a photo booth, set-up and tear-down, and taking donations.

The 160-person event was sold out and raised over $6,000 to help support Rett Syndrome, a disease that affects girls almost exclusively. It is characterized by normal early growth and development followed by a slowing of development, loss of purposeful use of the hands, distinctive hand movements, slowed brain and head growth, problems with walking, seizures, and intellectual disability.

The Purdue Calumet women's soccer team volunteered for the Northwest Indiana Cancer Kids Foundation at their 5th annual St. Baldrick's event at the Local Operating Engineers Hall in Merrillville, Ind.

The squad helped with setup and running different stations which consisted of festival type games and prizes.  Team members also helped to run the photo booth, bake sale and taking turns circulating the event dressed as Elmo. 

This event was attended by community members, families affected by childhood cancer – including those children who recently completed and/or were still undergoing treatment.

Below are more ways the Purdue Calumet Athletic department served the community and supported other campus events in 2015-16:

• Kid's Day events at two basketball games - Student-Athletes helped face paint, supervise bounce houses and interacted with fans. Both basketball teams also did a poster signing where kids could meet them and get the entire team's autograph on a poster.
• R-DUB Club - Student-Athletes visited Hammond elementary classrooms and read different parts of books and stories to local children.
• New Student Orientations, where student-athletes assisted incoming students by answering questions about the University.
• Recess Buddies at the Riley Center and Woodland Childcare Centers in Hammond, where student-athletes helped demonstrate good sportsmanship in games and how to play fair.
• Easter Egg Hunt, where student-athletes helped designate areas for children to hunt for Easter eggs while also assisting kids in receiving other prizes and coloring books.
• Food Drive, where the Purdue Calumet Softball team helped run a food drive for United Way at Strack & Van Til in Schererville, Ind.
• Habitat for Humanity in Merrillville, Ind., where the men's soccer team built a fence, packed shelves and assisted in moving heavy inventory to help set up shop.
• Student Convocation, where members of the men's basketball team assisted in food distribution to students.