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Yuma, Arizona – August 12, 2006 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that a whopping 280 volunteers participated in today’s 2nd Annual Day of Champions across Yuma County.  Arizona Western College salutes all who gave of themselves this morning and this afternoon. 

From the 150+ members of the AWC Athletic Department (including AWC Athletic Director Jerry Smith; head coaches James Pryor, Kenny Dale, Kelly Green, Pam Stone & John Stratton; assistant coaches Billy Belton, Tina Contreras, Jerry Dominguez, Tom Fox, Paul Hines, Alan Manifold, Joe Pryor, Sarah Ramirez, Justin Stigler & Shan Williams; and AWC Sports Information Director Jim Howell) and 50 employees of Wal-Mart & Sam's Club who stood side-by-side to tackle 18 different community projects in Yuma, Wellton, Somerton & the Foothills over the span of just seven hours; to Circle K employees and Reddy-Ice employees who woke up extra early on their days off to bring ice and beverages to the workers before they shoved off to their job sites; to Wal-Mart & Sam's Club employees who prepared breakfast bags for all the volunteers; to the bus drivers who picked up the volunteers from three different locations and transported to and from the various job sites for the next eight hours; to the employees of Southwest Gas, who not only provided workers' gloves for the volunteers to use but also volunteered time working backhoes for the larger jobs; to the representatives of such agencies as Amberly's Place, Arizona Western College, Crossroads Mission, Habitat for Humanity, Saddles of Joy, Salvation Army, the town of Wellton, Yuma Community Food Bank, Yuma County Public Works, Yuma Family YMCA and Schechert Family YMCA, Yuma Homefront Optimist Club, Yuma Parks and Recreation, Yuma Reading Council, Yuma West Wetlands and Yuma WORC Center, who helped the volunteers through the various projects; to Outback Steakhouse, who provided all of the volunteers to a great meal and great service after the jobs were completed; to the media & AWC Photo Services, who followed the groups around town to show our area what a great event it was; it was a resounding success that overwhelmed those who organized it.  “This is something you should take with you today,” Pryor told the throng of volunteers at the Outback Steakhouse luncheon after the event.  “This is the kind of great event and hard work that should stay with you for a lifetime.  You should all be extremely proud.”

Related:

• Column - "Playing to Win" by Jim Howell

• AWC - "Day of Champions"