HILBERT'S SENEFELDER GIVES BACK IN THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

Hilbert College women's basketball coach Amy Senefelder spent the Christmas season with her family in Tennessee and returned to western New York with a feeling of good cheer.   The Hawks head coach shared with HilbertHawks.com a brief recap of her experiences on December 25th.

"Seeing as our 2020-21 basketball season has been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, I decided to travel to Tennessee for the holidays this year," said the head coach of the Hawks women's basketball program.  "While visiting my mother and stepfather on their farm in Cookeville, TN, I had the chance to give back to some local families who have been going through some unfortunate and trying times." 

Senefelder continued, "My family blends toys they purchase along with donations made by local stores and vendors, and they hand them out to kids in need on Christmas day.  It's a yearly event and I feel very fortunate to have been a part of this year's distribution."  

Typically the event is held at one large location however this year, due to COVID-19, they went door-to-door and handed out the gifts.  In 2020 over $4,000 worth of toys were handed out to local children in the Cookeville community.  Toys included coloring material, backpacks, stuffed animals, skateboards, as well as gift cards for parents, and much more. 

"My stepfather Dave, wearing the mask in the photo above, is pictured along with a local household that received a large donation in December. This particular house consists of three families with eight children, and although it was freezing outside, they were very happy to receive all of the toys and gift cards for a little extra cheer this holiday." 

Senefelder explained "Being a part of the Hilbert community myself, I try to make sure my team also understands the importance of giving back to those in need.  It was great for me this year to be able to share the Hilbert Franciscan values outside the WNY area, and I'd like to be able to use this idea locally with my Hilbert team in the future."