"Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others."  ― Booker T. Washington
 
TOWSON, Md. – It will be a festive atmosphere Thursday night when the Towson University men's basketball team hosts Delaware in a key Colonial Athletic Association game from SECU Arena. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. and the game will be televised on NBC Sports Washington.
 
Towson will celebrate its 2018 Community Service Team Works Helper Helper national championship prior to the start of the game. Fans will want to arrive early as there's plenty of special activities planned throughout the contest that people won't forget.
 
The first 2,000 fans will receive a commemorative national championship sticker. In addition, a lucky Fan of the Game sponsored by Pepsi will have the opportunity to win a Fire. The Tigers will wear special limited edition national championship t-shirts during warmups.
 
Remember, Muhammed Ali said "service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth." Giving of yourself is a required part of the recipe for living a happier and healthier life. Success comes when you find something you are passionate about and perfect it.
 
Towson's Total Tiger program, which takes a 360-degree view of the development of Tiger student-athletes. The goal is to educate, advocate, mentor and serve. The program gives Towson student-athletes opportunities to engage and interact with the Greater Baltimore area through community service and mentorships.
 
Towson completed the most community service hours among all schools in the competition, including 75 different Division I departments and approximately 300 total programs across the country. Towson student-athletes and staff completed 5,583 hours of community service from September to November around the Greater Baltimore area. 
 
Becoming A Leader in Campus & Community Engagement is one of Towson Athletics' six strategic themes and all 19 Towson sport programs are part of this national achievement.  
 
By strengthening and investing in the community, Towson's student-athletes are also growing and glowing. Studies have shown that volunteering has positive effects on your mood, health, and even your longevity. Focusing on others with a cheerful heart significantly reduces stress levels and helps develop a gratuitous spirit.
 
Towson's passion for helping others and making a difference is the foundation for its giving. Towson's student-athletes have learned it is not how much they give, but how much love they put into volunteering at schools, community events, serving meals and interacting with kids. Towson's student-athletes understand that the gift of time is often more valuable to the receiver and more satisfying for the giver than the gift of money.
 
"It is a great honor to be a national champion of community service," said Towson director of athletics Tim Leonard in December when the honor was announced. "Community service is a part of our DNA here at Towson University, and our student-athletes represent this institution with pride here in the Greater Baltimore area.  This is a fantastic achievement for everyone in our department, including all student-athletes, coaches, administration and staff."
 
NOTES: In June during 53rd Annual National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Convention in Washington, D.C., Towson was recognized as a finalist for the NACDA/Fiesta Bowl Community Service Award after hitting the 10,000 hour mark for community service for a sixth-straight year during the 2017-18 academic year ... Towson has defeated Delaware seven consecutive times including a 64-63 win over the Blue Hens in Newark on Jan. 19.