TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University men's basketball team continues to shine off the court, ranking second nationally in Division I men's team sports for their community service activities in the 2018-19 NCAA Team Works Helper Helper Community Service Competition.
 
In the men's competition, Towson basketball finished behind North Carolina Central basketball and ahead of Appalachian State baseball, Liberty men's soccer and Tulane golf.
 
"This is terrific for our program and University," Towson men's basketball head coach Pat Skerry said. "Community service is one of the core values of our program. I am grateful for my dedicated staff that emphasizes the importance to our players of serving others and giving back. However, this accolade wouldn't be possible without the hard work of (men's basketball director of student-athlete development) Parfait Bitee and (assistant athletic director for the Total Tiger Program) Antwaine Smith. They do tremendous work in arranging community service opportunities for our program and making sure our guys are present and engaged."
 
Moreover, community service is a way of life and one of the strategic themes of the Towson athletics department. The Tigers basketball team showcased their commitment in being leaders in campus engagement and community service.
 
Many of the community outreach efforts are part of 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.
 
As a department, Towson was second overall nationally in the Helper Helper competition.
 
Throughout the past year, the Tigers impacted the lives of others and made a difference in the community by participating in several outreach projects. Among them were hosting an autism clinic featuring several individuals from the Hussman Center for Adults on the campus of Towson University, interacting with students from Towson West Elementary School, and spending time with the Middle Grades Partnership (public and private school partnership for leadership development and community activism for middle school students) in Baltimore city.
 
"Being able to speak with the kids was a very special moment for me," said Gray, who earned Dean's List honors after the fall semester. "I remember when I was in their shoes and older kids would talk to us about the future and how important school is. But with the roles reversed and me acting as that mentor, it was special for me because the kids were extremely engaged as I was telling my story on how I was able to get to where I am today. As long as I have inspired at least five students from that class, I will feel proud."
 
In addition, members of the Tigers spoke at Loch Raven Academy, participated in Towson West Elementary School's Back To School Night and the Autism Speaks Walk.
 
About Helper Helper
Helper Helper was founded by former University of Michigan basketball player Krista Clement to simplify the volunteer process for students and in turn, help them create a lasting impact within their communities and themselves.
 
Helper Helper works with over 350 colleges and universities, including a partnership with all of NCAA Division II. For more information on Helper Helper, visit www.HelperHelper.com or follow them on Twitter @HelperHelperApp.
 
This was the fifth annual NCAA Team Works Helper Helper Community Service Competition award, with all Divisions I, II and III participating schools combining for 474,282 hours of community service in 15,660 opportunities.
 
During the 2018-2019 school year, student-athletes from 46 states put forth a tremendous effort in their local communities volunteering. Throughout the year, student-athletes and staff used the Helper Helper app and online portal to coordinate and track their service efforts.