Pirates Participation in Grow-A-Row Another Success
9/28/2017 12:46:00 PM | General, H.A.L.L. Program
Pittstown, N.J. - In one of the signature events of the H.A.L.L. Program, 38 Seton Hall student-athletes took time out to assist America's Grow-a-Row (AGAR) in the fight against hunger by harvesting food at a farm this past Sunday.
The efforts by the student-athletes on the day led to the harvesting of over 7,000 pounds of tomatoes that will translate into 28,000 servings to be distributed throughout New Jersey food banks.
In an email addressed to Seton Hall student-athletes, America's Grow-a-Row director of programming Julie Rusin wrote:
In the six years since it was formed, the partnership between The Hall and AGAR has made a tangible impact in the fight against hunger. Student-athletes have volunteered their time to harvest over 100,000 pounds of food.
The Grow-a-Row experience has meant a lot to a trio of swimming & diving student-athletes, who have participated in the Seton Hall harvest in all four years they have attended the University.
"I have enjoyed participating in Grow-a-Row for the past four years because it has been a great opportunity to spend time with my teammates and other athletes while giving back to areas across New Jersey," said Michael Mattera (Deer Park, N.Y.), a senior on the men's swimming & diving team. "As I have learned through volunteering at Grow-A-Row, there are 1.4 million individuals in just the state of New Jersey that need assistance with getting meals. This year a group of us was able to harvest fresh produce for 28,000 people by spending just one afternoon picking tomatoes. This demonstrates the importance the Grow-A-Row foundation, and I hope our school continues participating in this great event."
"Grow-A-Row is a unique and fun way to give back to the community by harvesting vegetables," said Cody Wimmer (Macungie, Pa.), a senior on the men's swimming & diving team. "Over the past four years, Grow-a-Row has given me an appreciation for how important and how hard it can be for some people to access fresh and nutritious food. As athletes, we have the opportunity to eat healthier and be educated on healthy eating, so to be able to give back to the community and not only educate but also harvest food for them is why this is initiative is so important."
"I think Grow-a-Row is a very different experience from most forms of community service opportunities, and it is more challenging," said Sydney Simpson (Tallahassee, Fla.), a senior on the women's swimming & diving team. "There is an incredible feeling of accomplishment at the end when they tell you how many pounds were picked and how many families it is going to serve. It's eye-opening, and it comes from just a few hours of work."
The connection between Seton Hall and the Grow-a-Row organization extends beyond Sunday's efforts as former basketball star Jerry Walker and his charity, Team Walker, have a longstanding partnership with the organization as well. Team Walker's involvement doubles as an educational opportunity for the youth that it serves and in 2014, Jerry was honored at the second-annual Farm-to-Fork Fundraiser held by AGAR.
About America's Grow-A-Row
America's Grow-a-Row's mission is to positively impact as many lives as possible through a volunteer effort of planting, picking, rescuing, and delivering free fresh produce. Thanks to the help of over 7,000 volunteers, America's Grow-a-Row has donated over six million pounds of produce to people in need. For more information and to support America's Grow-a-Row, visit www.americasgrowarow.org.
The efforts by the student-athletes on the day led to the harvesting of over 7,000 pounds of tomatoes that will translate into 28,000 servings to be distributed throughout New Jersey food banks.
In an email addressed to Seton Hall student-athletes, America's Grow-a-Row director of programming Julie Rusin wrote:
It was amazing to watch everyone who came from different parts of the Seton Hall Athletics teams take on a true sense of team spirit and work hard to surpass our goal of harvesting 8 pallets. A special thank you to the last few students who stuck it out in the fields to harvest the last few boxes!
 For years, we have been able to count on the students from Seton Hall to make a huge difference when they come out - and they did not disappoint last weekend!Â
In the six years since it was formed, the partnership between The Hall and AGAR has made a tangible impact in the fight against hunger. Student-athletes have volunteered their time to harvest over 100,000 pounds of food.
The Grow-a-Row experience has meant a lot to a trio of swimming & diving student-athletes, who have participated in the Seton Hall harvest in all four years they have attended the University.
"I have enjoyed participating in Grow-a-Row for the past four years because it has been a great opportunity to spend time with my teammates and other athletes while giving back to areas across New Jersey," said Michael Mattera (Deer Park, N.Y.), a senior on the men's swimming & diving team. "As I have learned through volunteering at Grow-A-Row, there are 1.4 million individuals in just the state of New Jersey that need assistance with getting meals. This year a group of us was able to harvest fresh produce for 28,000 people by spending just one afternoon picking tomatoes. This demonstrates the importance the Grow-A-Row foundation, and I hope our school continues participating in this great event."
"Grow-A-Row is a unique and fun way to give back to the community by harvesting vegetables," said Cody Wimmer (Macungie, Pa.), a senior on the men's swimming & diving team. "Over the past four years, Grow-a-Row has given me an appreciation for how important and how hard it can be for some people to access fresh and nutritious food. As athletes, we have the opportunity to eat healthier and be educated on healthy eating, so to be able to give back to the community and not only educate but also harvest food for them is why this is initiative is so important."
"I think Grow-a-Row is a very different experience from most forms of community service opportunities, and it is more challenging," said Sydney Simpson (Tallahassee, Fla.), a senior on the women's swimming & diving team. "There is an incredible feeling of accomplishment at the end when they tell you how many pounds were picked and how many families it is going to serve. It's eye-opening, and it comes from just a few hours of work."
The connection between Seton Hall and the Grow-a-Row organization extends beyond Sunday's efforts as former basketball star Jerry Walker and his charity, Team Walker, have a longstanding partnership with the organization as well. Team Walker's involvement doubles as an educational opportunity for the youth that it serves and in 2014, Jerry was honored at the second-annual Farm-to-Fork Fundraiser held by AGAR.
About America's Grow-A-Row
America's Grow-a-Row's mission is to positively impact as many lives as possible through a volunteer effort of planting, picking, rescuing, and delivering free fresh produce. Thanks to the help of over 7,000 volunteers, America's Grow-a-Row has donated over six million pounds of produce to people in need. For more information and to support America's Grow-a-Row, visit www.americasgrowarow.org.
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