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4/24/06 Hold that thought. Webster’s defines ‘celebrity’ as one that ‘has the state or quality of being widely known or acclaimed.’ Athletes and entertainers are celebrities in America, in fact they’re our royalty. Had Candy Lightener been a celebrity, her two-year quest wouldn’t have been nearly as difficult. But in 1980 after much resistance and many setbacks, with the help of local legislation, she founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the rest has become history. Within seven years, there were over 400 chapters nationwide, boasting 2.9 million members. Candy Lightener became a celebrity for all the right reasons, and her actions have benefited millions while creating a new awareness that’s saved countless lives.
S.A.V.E. stands for ‘Student Athlete Volunteer Experience,’ and it’s an organization that invites disadvantaged youth from the Pittsburgh area into their fold for the express purpose of mentoring through athletic endeavors. The ideology is to provide a vehicle for kids to grow and learn while gaining confidence and getting an opportunity to participate in sports. Without S.A.V.E. they might not have gotten a chance. Their first event featured a soccer clinic in which 30 kids attended, and the Varsity Soccer Team helped out as well, running drills and interacting with the kids. For now S.A.V.E. is a grass-roots organization that also recently engaged in an ice-cream fundraiser, and has plans for futures efforts of this nature. There is no telling where S.A.V.E. could end up in the future. But much like Candy Lightener’s M.A.D.D., there certainly is the potential that this up-and-coming organization could have positive impact on thousands of lives as well. Out of acorns… grow oaks. (c) 2006 Novi
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Novi
graduate Trent Sisson is making a name for himself as well. A member of
the football team at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Sisson
recently founded ‘S.A.V.E.’