RAMBLERS MAKE IT A MEMORABLE SPRING BREAK

March 19, 2008

York, PA- On Sunday, March 7th, 12 student-athletes representing seven institutions from the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC) made their way to York, Pennsylvania.  Of course, this was no ordinary spring break vacation.  There would be no lounging around or sleeping-in; rather, these student-athletes were heading to central Pennsylvania on a service trip in honor of PAC 15 “Year of Service.”  They would be in York for six days to help Habitat for Humanity- York in rehabbing three row homes destroyed by fire.  Of the 12 that partook in the trip, Rosemont College’s Kristy Bannon (Hanover Twp., Pa/Hanover), Priyanka Reddy (Syosset, N.Y./Syosset) and Athletic Director Lynn Rothenhoefer were among them.  
 
The group arrived in York Sunday evening.  They settled at their accommodations, the basement of the Trinity Retreat Center.  After a night’s sleep, the student-athletes were up at 7:30 a.m. and at the site at 8:30 a.m.  After a brief run down of their duties, the group quickly got to work painting, insulating, fire walling and wiring.  “We really worked as a team.  We even worked so well together, [Habitat for Humanity-York] said we accomplished twice as much as they expected by the end of the trip.” Says Reddy.  
 
The group called it quits after 3:30pm and headed back to the center.  Their evenings were filled with board games and coffee shop trips, and even one night of bowling.  “Amy [PAC Commissioner] even taught us this dice game.  It was a lot of fun,” Reddy states.  Bannon added, “I bowled my best game ever!”  They repeated this schedule for the next two days.  
 
On Wednesday, the group was given a day off and taken on a day trip to Baltimore, Maryland.  There, the student-athletes visited the aquarium and art and science museums.  “We even had dinner at the ESPN Zone in the Inner Harbor.  We celebrated Coach Lynn’s birthday.  It was a lot of fun,” Bannon adds.  
 
The next two days, the group got back to the grind and worked hard.  They returned late Friday evening, tired but filled with memories and new friends.   “The first day, we paired off by school, but as we got to know each other, we started to mix groups.  By the end of trip, we weren’t individual schools, but a conference,” said Bannon.