SE: Wildcat Adopt-A-Family Program Embodies Family Aspect of K-State

Wrapping paper was spread across the floor and bows were scattered around as well. Christmas music also filled the room, as did K-State student-athletes, who were wrapping presents they paid for and picked out.

These gifts weren’t for family, friends or coaches, either.

This was the final stage of K-State Athletics SAAC’s (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) Adopt-A-Family Program, which started in 2010 and is a partnership with the Junior League of the Flint Hills. This year, Wildcats from every sport pooled together $2,232 — the highest amount since the total started being recorded in 2013 — for two families with a combined eight children and four adults.

“It was really fun for us to get together and pool money as an athletic department and give back to people that might not have the opportunity to have a Christmas like some of us might,” Jake Wodtke, senior infielder for K-State’s baseball team, said. “It definitely embodies the family aspect of K-State. We’re a family, everybody in our community is a family, so it’s our job to take care of each other.”

After the money was collected, each K-State program split up shopping responsibilities. For some teams, this was more of a challenge than they expected.

“Trying to figure out what a two-year-old wears with 10 guys was a little bit more difficult than we thought it was going to be,” K-State senior pitcher Jordan Floyd said. “It was a lot of fun getting some of our teammates together to go out and shop for him.”

In the end, the group of baseball players didn’t strike out on their shopping expedition.

“It’s kind of like a little brother, so it was really fun getting together and getting to spoil a little kid,” Wodtke said. “We had to get him a baseball bat, but we also got him some shoes and some clothes. We got him toys, some of his favorite action figures. He said he likes Batman, so we got him some Batman stuff.”

Marissa Butrum, a senior rower for K-State, also encountered some inexperience in the shopping phase.

“I don’t have any infants in my family, so it was a little difficult shopping like that, but we had some teammates who did,” she said. “It was a really cool experience. It was good to see all of our teammates come together for our family.”

Once the shopping was completed, student-athletes gathered at the West Stadium Center to wrap presents in holiday style. Style being tacky Christmas sweaters, holiday-themed pajamas and a mixture of festive headwear. Christmas-themed cupcakes and cookies were also included in the wrapping session, which, again, was more challenging for some teams.

“I think it was a little easier for the girls teams than it was for the guys, but rowing definitely had fun with it,” Butrum said. “I know baseball was near us and they had fun, so it was a good experience.”

“We probably weren’t as experienced as some of the other teams, but we got the job done,” Wodtke said of the baseball team’s wrapping performance. “It may not be pretty, but we got the job done.”

Ultimately, Floyd said events like SAAC’s Adopt-A-Family campaign have made his student-athlete experience feel complete.

“It makes my experience as a student-athlete a lot better being able to go out into the community and be able to help people,” he said. “Being able to help families in need that can’t really provide the same presence and just donating five or ten bucks from every student-athlete, we can pull together a lot of money to help these families out.

“It just shows that student-athletes are more than willing to help anybody who tries to help us. Being able to help those people out that want to help us, support us in our games, went want to find any way we can to help them.”

Kansas State University Athletics

SE: Wildcat Adopt-A-Family Program Embodies Family Aspect of K-State

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