WEST HARTFORD, Conn – The University of Hartford Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) spent this past Friday evening giving back and connecting to the community at the Urban League of Greater Hartford's "Trunk or Treat" event. A group of SAAC members dressed up and visited with the local children for Halloween festivities and games.
 
SAAC members representing the Hawks' softball, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's and women's cross country/track & field, men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse teams joined forces with the Urban League of Greater Hartford to put on the pre-Halloween event, giving the community a chance to spend time with Hartford's student-athletes. 
 
"Our goal in SAAC is to get involved in the community that we are a part of," said SAAC Co-President Clodagh Corcoran, a senior on the women's cross country and track & field teams. "During the trunk or treat we had many student athletes from our universities teams attend and interact with the Hartford community. It was such a great experience to see how much of an impact UHart Athletics has on the community around us, and how much my fellow student-athletes interacted with the children from these communities."
 
Following this year's event, the Hawks are targeting a long-term partnership with the Urban League of Greater Hartford, with the goal of making "Trunk of Treat" an annual outreach opportunity for student-athletes.
 
SAAC is planning a canned food drive on campus on Nov. 14, with donation destinations to be assigned at the next meeting. Another major SAAC initiative will take place in March when the Hawks join forces with Junior Achievement for "JA Day," working to promote economic understanding among elementary and middle school students.