For Immediate Release:  October 3, 2000
Contact: Bernie Saenz, UT Pan American Asst. SID

UTPA Athletics, Student-Athlete Advisory Council Donate Books to Renaissance Project

EDINBURG-The University of Texas-Pan American Athletic Department, along with the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), recently donated 100 books to the Renaissance Project.

SAAC is comprised of student-athletes from each of the University’s athletic programs, and is designed to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunities, pertaining to athletic welfare and fostering a positive student athlete image, and community involvement.

The Renaissance Project collects books from individuals, businesses, and educational institutes and sends them overseas to stimulate learning.  These books range from the sciences to literature. With help from major corporations such as Shell Oil, who covers the cost of shipping the books, the Renaissance Project is able to put books in the hands of students to broaden their educational endeavors.

“The Renaissance Project offers an extremely worthwhile medium where we can donate used textbooks to a worthy cause.  The student-athletes who comprise our Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) were unanimous in deciding to aid the cause of the Renaissance Project.  In conjunction with the UTPA Athletic Department, SAAC has formed a partnership with the Renaissance project where textbooks will be donated on a semester by semester basis,” said Chris Uchacz, Athletic Academic Coordinator and SAAC advisor.

“Thanks to the generosity of organizations like the UTPA Athletic Department and SAAC, the Renaissance Project has been able, over the past seven years, to ship over 30,000 books ($155,000 worth) to developing universities abroad.  We look forward to greater collaboration in the future,” said Dr. William F. Strong, Renaissance Project founder.

The books donated by the Athletic Department and SAAC are en-route to universities in Nigeria.  If you would like more information on the Renaissance Project, please e-mail Dr. William Strong at: wfstrong@panam.edu.