HAMILTON – Last week, members of Colgate's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) had the opportunity to visit and tour Pathfinder Village as part of the One Shirt One Body Initiative.
Pathfinder Village, located about half an hour away in Edmeston, is an internationally renowned open-access neighborhood for individuals with Down syndrome or other developmental disabilities. For nearly 100 years, Pathfinder Village has provided its residents with friendships, skills and empowerment and has become an integral part of the Central New York community.
Pathfinder residents also have been extremely loyal and enthusiastic supporters of Colgate Athletics, visiting campus for many Raider home competitions. Members of SAAC were treated to a tour by Andrew and Grant, two current Pathfinder residents, and were impressed by many aspects of the village, including the athletic facilities, school, chapel, and residence buildings.
While at Pathfinder, SAAC members donated Colgate apparel collected through One Shirt One Body, which is a nationwide initiative meant to connect student-athletes with their broader communities through philanthropy, specifically apparel donation.
This year, the Patriot League SAAC homed in on T-shirt donation as a league-wide initiative. SAAC has hosted two One Shirt One Body games this year: a Nov. 14 men's basketball game and a Feb. 27 women's basketball game. At those games, members of the Colgate student body donated over 100 Colgate T-shirts, representing athletic teams, interest groups, Greek organizations and other facets of the Colgate community. Many of those shirts were then given to residents at Pathfinder.
For Denise Larson, a SAAC representative and senior captain of the women's track and field team, the ability to connect with Pathfinder residents through athletics was meaningful.
"It was refreshing to escape from the Colgate bubble to see how other student-athletes live and work," Larson said. "It was powerful seeing how athletics provided an immediate connection with our friendly tour guides, and the experience reinforced the importance of using our privilege as student-athletes to help others."
The most recent visit adds another layer to the Colgate Athletics relationship with Pathfinder. Men's soccer hosts the annual Down syndrome awareness game and continues to run clinics at Pathfinder begun by Garret Esper '18. Many Raider teams cheer on Pathfinder's residents when they show off their soccer and basketball skills during Colgate's games, and women's ice hockey has forged meaningful relationships through their Inclusive Learn-to-Skate program.
Luke Myers '20 majors in political science and is a member of the Colgate men's cross country team.
