The Missouri Valley Conference and United Way of Greater St. Louis are teaming up for the 2023-24 academic season. As the first Official Community Service Partner of the conference, United Way and the MVC along with student-athletes will work to have a positive impact on youth success volunteering across the region.
The impact is already underway, MVC student-athletes have participated in volunteer activities this summer and in October in conjunction with the MVC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tipoffs.
“This is so exciting for our membership as St. Louis has been such a gracious host for “The Valley” in so many different ways,” says Commissioner Jeff Jackson. “United Way of Greater St. Louis is a tremendous vehicle for our student-athletes to share their many gifts in service of this fantastic community.”
Under the terms of the agreement, the MVC will provide a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales to the United Way from the 2024 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament (March 7-10). Also, included in the partnership will be signage and additional exposure on the MVC TV Network to promote the MVC and United Way.
United Way helps 1 in 3 people throughout the St. Louis region, and since their inception, they have raised and invested nearly $3 billion into the communities they serve. They provide funding and support to over 160 local nonprofits. Additionally, they run one of the nation’s largest Volunteer Centers, connecting hundreds of thousands of people to local volunteer opportunities since 1933.
“We are honored to have this new partnership that will allow the terrific student-athletes from the Missouri Valley Conference to unite with us in our efforts to build a stronger St. Louis community,” said Michelle Tucker, President and CEO, United Way of Greater St. Louis.
In July, MVC SAAC student-athletes engaged with United Way of Greater St. Louis as they worked with Brightside St. Louis to participate in a cleaning and greening program at their Demonstration Garden in the downtown St. Louis City community. In late October, in conjunction with the MVC Basketball Tipoff in St. Louis at Enterprise Center, MVC men’s basketball student-athletes visited third graders at SLPS Patrick Henry Elementary and KIPP Wisdom Elementary and participated in group reading activities at each school. During the MVC Basketball Tipoff in Moline, Ill., MVC women’s basketball student-athletes visited schools in Davenport, Iowa, and Moline, Ill., during which student-athletes and coaches read to students and showed off their moves in the playground.
About United Way of Greater St. Louis
United Way of Greater St. Louis unites people, resources, and funding to help build strong and equitable communities across a 16-county region in Missouri and Illinois. United Way’s impact on the community includes equipping over 160 local nonprofits with vital funding and training resources, operating the largest Volunteer Center in the region, and connecting local neighbors to providers of services through its 211 Helpline. For more information, contact 314-421-0700 or visit www.HelpingPeople.org.
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