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EUGENE, Ore. - On Thursday, September 18, one of Bushnell University's most important annual community service traditions continued with the 2025 Embrace the Community Day. 

On this particular day, all Bushnell classes are canceled in the afternoon, giving every student, faculty, and staff member the opportunity to participate. Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff participated and over 20 different organizations were served. Every Beacon athletic team participated in the event at one or more of the various non-profit organizations, putting in a total of over 600 hours of community service. 
 
ETC Day provides a signature moment for Bushnell Athletes to live out the mission of being holistic student-athletes who strive to be more than just athletes, and it was made even more consequential as Bushnell was named the NAIA National School of Character just two days prior. Associate Athletic Director Sarah Freeman said, "Being named the NAIA School of Character on Tuesday was a tremendous honor but watching our student-athletes live that out on Thursday during ETC Day was even more powerful. I'm so proud of our entire community. This is our opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and I was blessed to serve alongside several of our athletes as they embodied our Tri-Athlete model with humility, heart, and purpose. Moments like these remind us that character isn't just a title, it's a calling, and we are called to be Beacons!"

The variety of opportunities is one of the things that make Bushnell's Embrace the Community program so meaningful, and for many teams, strong bonds are built and teams make plans to return to their site for more work in the future. 

"Through the lens of wisdom, faith, and service, our goal is to connect our students with service opportunities and organizations that can turn into long standing relationships," said Freeman. "While ETC day is just one day we hope it inspires a spirit of service and community engagement that will be deeply rooted in our student-athletes and how we as Beacons live our lives."
 
This year's slate of team projects and community partnerships included: 
 
MEN'S GOLF: Everyone Village
Everyone Village is a unique Eugene organization that provides temporary housing to people experiencing homelessness. This year the men's golf team helped out with staining door frames. 
 
WOMEN'S GOLF: Cornerstone Community Housing
The women's golf team worked with Oregon Community Programs, doing some sanitizing, cleaning, and organizing of their therapy rooms. They cleaned toys, organized supplies and games, and got in some good deep cleaning.
 
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY: Youth for Christ
The men's cross country team had the opportunity to work at the Eugene Youth for Christ facility, doing some facilty cleaning and sprucing up their game room. 
 
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY: Youth for Christ
The women's cross country team had the opportunity to work at the Youth for Christ facility, helping to prepare the space for incoming students.

We were able to clean buildings and buses, and helped create a welcoming environment for the students who enjoy Youth for Christ," said Freshman Sienna Lillebo. "We love serving others and felt that we were able to share our love for the community. It was a great reminder of how small acts of service can make a big difference."
 
ESPORTS: Greenhill Humane Society
The Esports team was at the Greenhill Humane Society, helping to manage and care for a grass field on their property. 
 
"The staff was grateful that we were able to come in and help with a project that they would have been otherwise unable to complete before an upcoming maintenance inspection," said sophomore Mason Monrroy. "This project helped build and strengthen our team chemistry as we all worked together to get the job done. It was hard labor, but amazing to be able to serve our community with the heart, hands, and feet of Jesus."

MEN'S BASKETBALL:  Luper Pioneer Cemetery
In one of the longest standing traditions of ETC Day, the men's basketball team once again returned to the Luper Pioneer Cemetery to help with weeding and other beautification efforts. The Luper Pioneer cemetery is the final resting place for James Bushnell and his family.

"We love being able to make a huge, visible difference in the community by restoring dignity to a place that means so much to Bushnell," said senior Roy Bunn. "Working together brings our team closer. It gives us a sense of purpose beyond ourselves and it reminds us that serving is an important pillar of life."
 
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: ARC of Lane County

The women's basketball team was able to help out at the ARC of Lane County's Sensory Garden, doing some weeding and other yard work projects. 

BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Nearby Nature
Beach Volleyball worked on some cleanup and maintenance with Nearby Nature at Alton Baker Park. The team pulled weeds, did some completed trail maintenance, and removed invasive species. 
 
Senior Jazmyn Wilcox said, "We were able to help clean up at a park that we often hang out at. It was a good team bonding and it was fun to make a difference together."
 
BASEBALL – Grassroots Garden
The Bushnell baseball team once again served at FOOD For Lane County's Grassroots Garden where they did some landscape renovation work and harvesting.

Senior Albert Jennings said, "It is always great to be able to serve at the Grassroots Garden. With such a large roster, we are able to help them get some things done that they wouldn't have been able to do otherwise, allowing them to continue to be an amazing resource for the community. It was nice to be able to come together as a team and be reminded that we are more than just a baseball team but can also do some pretty cool things off the field as well."
 
SOFTBALL – Hendricks Park
The Softball team helped with trail clean up and beautification at Hendricks Park in Eugene. It was their second straight year participating in this project. 

Senior Gracie Hamilton said, "We were able to clear out alot of blackberry bushes that were starting to take over many of the saplings and other plants around them. By clearing them out, we provided a far healthier space for the trees to grow. For our team, it was a great bonding experience and we each had a different job. We worked together well and had a great time. We are grateful we had the chance to represent Jesus, help out, and leave our mark on a beautiful park."
 
TRACK & FIELD – Springfield Youth Gardens
Also returning to their same community organization as the previous year, the men's and women's track & field teams worked at the Springfield Youth Gardens doing general gardening work, including harvesting potatoes. 

Sophomore Ellie Ekwere said, "Just in the two and a half hours were we there, we harvested 4000 pounds of food. This project really emphasized how much work a team can get done in a short amount of time. We actually worked so fast that we surpassed what the farm thought we would be able to get done that day."

Junior Gabe Evans said, "It was great to help, knowing that we are helping to get food to people who need it. As a team, it is a great chance to bond with each other knowing we are doing something meaningful for others."
 
MEN'S SOCCER – Looking Glass
While most of the men's soccer team was on the road, competing in Montana at the University of Providence, those that remained on campus were able to serve with Looking Glass at their Station 7 facility, helping with landscaping and power washing. 
 
MORE TO COME
The volleyball and men's and women's soccer teams were unable to participate on the official ETC as they were all on the road for weekend competitions. Volleyball has scheduled a time to work with the Hope Project while the soccer teams will both with with Looking Glass at a time in the near future.