The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Texas SAAC Launches Developing Neighborhood Athletes Fund
12.09.2020 | Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
Longhorn student-athletes set out to raise funds for young athletes in the community.
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AUSTIN, Texas – The University of Texas Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is excited to announce the launch of the Developing Neighborhood Athletes (DNA) Fund, a donation-based fund targeting young athletes in the community whose financial situations may be prohibiting them from participating in their sport and achieving their athletic dreams.
"Sports have shaped us into the people we are today and have given us so many opportunities," said SAAC President Logan Eggleston. "We want to use the platform that sports has given us to give back to the youth in our community and create these amazing opportunities of sports for them."
DNA aims to raise funds to help purchase equipment, pay club fees, cover travel costs for tournaments and provide other financial needs. Starting in the Spring of 2021, Texas SAAC is partnering with the Neighborhood Longhorns Program (NLP) to select applicants.
Led by former SAAC President Alison Gibson, Longhorn student-athletes began working last spring towards making DNA a reality. She knew early on that the potential impact of the fund is limitless.
"There are so many young athletes that can't afford equipment," Gibson said. "I remember how growing up, there were other athletes that couldn't afford swimsuits, and they had to apply for grants to go to meets. It is so powerful to give back to the young athletes, and they might grow up and become student-athletes themselves one day."
Following Gibson's graduation, she passed the torch to the new SAAC Executive Board led by current president Logan Eggleston. With the help of SAAC Community Outreach Coordinator, Bennett Inoff, the pair met with stakeholders across campus to bring the fund to life.
"As University of Texas student-athletes, we recognize that this fund will open new doors for young athletes who otherwise might not be able to play sports," said SAAC Executive Board Member Sam Worley. "Sport has the power to change lives. Sport is where we learned our core values. It is where we developed our leadership skills and where we met new people and discovered new places. Sport opened up doors that otherwise would not have been able to walk through. It is that gift of opening doors and gaining valuable experiences that we want to provide to the youth in our community."
We hope you will join Texas student-athletes in supporting our community and helping us accomplish this goal.