November and December are always busy months for charitable organizations around the area. Bishop O'Connell students support a large variety programs year round, and this time of year is no exception.Clubs and sports teams work on service project together, too. Below are just some examples of recent team efforts around the community:
Boys Basketball Pre-Season Service
On Nov. 18, the boys basketball team spent the day supporting the efforts of the Missionaries of Charity in Washington, D.C. The team did yard work, prepared food, served food, and cleaned the dining room and kitchen. The players were joined by coaches and school chaplain, Father Gregory Thompson, who rounded out the day by celebrating Mass with the group.
In addition, the players and coaches ran drills and demonstrations at two clinics to support local youth basketball programs. On Nov. 16, they headed to Maryland to participate in the Howard County Youth Program’s 25th anniversary basketball clinic. On Dec. 5 they supported the Vienna Youth Basketball Players Clinic held at Kilmer Middle School.
JV Volleyball - Blankets for Refugees
At the end of their season, the JV volleyball team participated in a blanket drive for Syrian refugees. The girls made ten fleece blankets which were donated to a local organization that ships blankets to Turkey to support families fleeing from their war-torn homeland.
Ice Hockey Supports Sled Hockey
The Knights ice hockey program spent a Saturday afternoon in November at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington to support the USAHockey Sled Hockey Tournament. Team members pitched in where needed, carrying the sled players’ equipment before and after their games and helping to give these players the NHL treatment throughout the tournament.
Groups Lay Wreaths Arlington National Cemetery
Several groups of students from Bishop O’Connell participated in the laying of wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery on Dec. 13. Members of the boys lacrosse team joined forces with the Young Women’s Executive Club to lay wreaths with care in one section of the cemetery.
For the fourth year in a row, the boys soccer team participated in the Wreaths Across America program which bring these wreaths to Washington, D.C. Members of the team were also present on Saturday to unload and distribute the wreaths throughout the cemetery.
In total, 25,000 volunteers fanned out across Arlington National Cemetery to unload and place more than 200,000 wreaths for the holiday season. According to local news sources, this is the largest number of wreaths to date.
Many in the group plan to finish the project by returning in January to help pick up the wreaths.