Yuma News Now

The idea for the ‘AWC Day of Champions’ began in 2005 when the new Matador Football coaching staff wanted to come up with a way to provide their student-athletes with a proper perspective about several things, including the idea of teamwork, the concept of unity, the need to appreciate what opportunities the student-athletes had been given, and the desire to give back to the community that the student-athletes were now a part of. “We knew that getting them out in the community and helping those who really needed some help would provide them with some humility,” remarked AWC Associate Head Coach Jerry Dominguez, the lone holdover from that 2005 Matador Football coaching staff. “However, we had no concept at the time of just how well this would be received.” The immense amount of positive feedback the team and the program received prompted AWC Athletic Director Jerry Smith to get more people and organizations involved-although he didn’t have to push very hard. “That next year, when I would talk to people about Matador Athletics, they’d ask about Day of Champions and how they could be part of it,” recalled Smith. “Then, when I brought it up to the Wal-Mart people, they didn’t just ask questions. They practically demanded to be included in the volunteer list. That’s when it really took off.” From there, the event has doubled in size and scope, and this year, it will have a much more international feel to it. In addition to the 300 volunteers from this part of the world, there will also be 40 members of the Australian National Football team that will be adding their manpower to the jobs. “The Australian team was just supposed to scrimmage us the night before (August 22^nd at Veterans Memorial Stadium),” said new AWC Head Football Coach Tom Minnick. “But as soon as they found out that we were holding this kind of event the day after, they asked to be part of it. It’s a great tribute to them.”

The event will start early on August 23^rd as the volunteers will converge on the AWC campus at 6:30AM, get on buses and vans, and head to the various job sites. The volunteers will help out such community organizations as Yuma Community Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, Imperial Valley Red Cross, Saddles of Joy, East County Guardian Angels, Greater Yuma Helping Hands, the EXCEL Group and the Boys and Girls’ Club of Yuma. In addition to providing volunteers, KBLU/KTTI/KQSR have provided public service announcement promoting the event; Wal-Mart & Sam’s Club will provide a free breakfast for all of the volunteers; Circle K will provide drinks to the volunteers throughout the day; Southwest Gas will provide working gloves and equipment; and the day will culminate at Outback Steakhouse in Yuma with a free lunch provided by the restaurant to all of the volunteers after the event.