@OW_Panthers Cross Country & Swimming volunteers at “Day of Service” to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Old Westbury student-athletes created disaster preparedness kits for vulnerable populations

By: Courtesy of Old Westbury Sports Information (written by Harris Rappel)

General | 2/27/2015 4:13:00 PM

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OLD WESTBURY, NY (www.OLDWESTBURYPANTHERS.com) -Members of SUNY Old Westbury's men's and women's cross country and swimming teams volunteered as part of a "Day of Service" to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on February 27 inside the campus Student Union.

The Panther student-athletes teamed up with the Long Island Volunteer Center and Zurich Insurance Group to sort donated materials, which were then used to create disaster preparedness kits for vulnerable populations. At the conclusion of the kit-building event, 75 kits were donated to Eager to Serve, a non-profit organization based in Freeport, New York, that serves to enhance the health and welfare of children and their families.

Volunteers received an engraved commemorative pin at the conclusion of their service act.

Head men's and women's cross country coach Jeff Labiento, along with cross country and swimming student-athletes: Zach Abatelli, Ayana Alleyne, Gustavo Baltazar, Sara Bey, Dom Bostick, Laura Diaz, Nick Giampietro, Sezgi Giray, Hayley McGinn, Stephon Odle, Jessie O'Hagan, Sharon Pierre-Louis, Tatianna Pizarro, Jennifer Siemann and Jonah Wegener, all participated in the event.

"This was a very rewarding event and it felt nice to give back," said Labiento.

"We were able to provide help to people in dealing with emergency situations in the future," said head men's and women's swimming coach Sigitas Rudokas. "We have proudly participated in this event in the past and plan to continue our service in the future."

About the Long Island Volunteer Center
The LIVC is the resource center for volunteerism and community service initiatives throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties. Established in 1992, LIVC operates year round and its services are provided free of charge. The LIVC collaborates with corporations and community organizations to address the needs of Long Islanders. LIVC is an affiliate of the HandsOn Network since 2008, connecting agencies seeking volunteers with individuals and groups looking for ways to serve their communities. In 2011, the LIVC was designated by New York State as the Regional Volunteer Center for Long Island. For more information, contact the Long Island Volunteer Center at (516) 564-5482 or visitwww.longislandvolunteercenter.org.

About Zurich
Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) is a leading multi-line insurer that serves its customers in global and local markets. With more than 55,000 employees, it provides a wide range of general insurance and life insurance products and services. Zurich's customers include individuals, small businesses, and mid-sized and large companies, including multinational corporations, in more than 170 countries.

In North America, Zurich is a leading commercial property-casualty insurance provider serving the global corporate, large corporate, middle market, specialties and programs sectors through the individual member companies of Zurich in North America, including Zurich American Insurance Company. Life insurance and disability coverage issued in the United States in all states except New York is issued by Zurich American Life Insurance Company, an Illinois domestic life insurance company. In New York, life insurance and disability coverage is issued by Zurich American Life Insurance Company of New York, a New York domestic life insurance company. For more information about the products and services it offers and people Zurich employs around the world go tohttp://www.zurichna.com. 2012 marked Zurich's 100 year anniversary of insuring America and the success of its customers, shareholders and employees.

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