The No. 1 goal for this year’s Student Athlete Advisory Board (SAAB) is “giving back to the community,” said Jon Brackmann, SAAB president.

SAAB is an organization of two student-athletes from each varsity sport — a faculty athletic representative and student-athlete academic advisor.

Last Saturday, 20 members of the group went to the Ames Boys and Girls Club to participate in activities with Ames area youngsters, said Trina Radske, community outreach co-chair for SAAB.

The student-athletes and children participated in a variety of activities, including basketball, ping-pong, Twister, Connect Four and crafts.

Radske, senior in exercise and sports science and track member, said the turnout was “fantastic. More kids than usual showed up” and it was “kind of a packed house,” he said.

Marty Lester of the Ames Boys and Girls Club said the event was successful and that he would “do it again in a heartbeat.”

“The event helped the kids build self-esteem,” Lester said. “The kids had a chance to have young adults take time out of their day and pay attention to them. That means a lot.”

Lester said the event was a positive experience for everyone — not just the children. He added that the student-athletes can feel better about themselves for giving some of their time to the kids.

Lester said many of the children do not have many belongings, and meeting young adults means a great deal.

“Everyone who was there participated and had a great time,” said Brackmann, senior in marketing and golf team member.

Brackmann said it was tough competition to play games against kids because “we haven’t played them [games] since we were little.”

He said his favorite part of the day was when a little girl he had been playing games with drew a picture of him.

“That was really cool,” Brackmann said.

Radske said her favorite part of the day was the enthusiasm of the kids.

“They were supposed to challenge us and we rewarded them with candy,” Radske said. “They were so enthusiastic trying to beat us. It was really cute.”

Brackmann said SAAB is planning to go to the Boys and Girls Club again this spring “because it was such a good time and the kids enjoyed it.”

He also said SAAB is planning to work closely with the Special Olympics, especially because the Big 12 Conference has adopted it for its philanthropy.

Brackmann added SAAB is also hoping to sell special buttons at the ISU-Kansas men’s basketball game to make money for a special cause, such as cancer.

Brackmann said SAAB members regularly read for students at Northwood elementary school.

He said SAAB wants to give back to the community “to thank them for coming out and supporting us.”

“We don’t do these things because he have to,” Brackmann said. “We do them because we want to.”