Oct. 7, 2009

Habitat for Humanity Pictures

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB cross country team used last weekend's hiatus from competition to engage in local community service. The Blazers volunteered with the Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter at UAB for a five-hour shift on Saturday, Oct. 3.

"Giving back to the community helped us feel a bigger connection to the city of Birmingham," junior Stephanie Gammon said. "I think we all realized that a little bit of time goes a long way, since we did manual labor and we were able to see the results instantly."

The community service event was organized by Gammon, who set up for the team to volunteer for a half workday, which kept them busy from 7 a.m. until 12 p.m. The team was divided into two groups, one group nailed up plywood to form the outside structure of the house, while the second group primed the inside walls and assisted with putting up siding on the outside of the home.

"When we first got here, one of the houses only had the frame," Gammon said. "By the time we left, it was halfway finished. Like my dad always says, `It's not what you get, but what you give that determines the worth of the life you live.'"

The UAB cross country team will be back in action this Saturday at the Furman Invitational in Greenville, S.C. The women's 5K race kicks off at 9 a.m. at the Furman University Golf Course.