Teams: Men's Lacrosse: Press Releases

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

MEN'S LACROSSE TEAM REFURBISHES HOMES WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

MEDFORD -- Spearheaded by senior Kevin Kistler (North Bethesda, MD), the Tufts University men's lacrosse team recently helped refurbish homes in two nearby communities as part of the Habitat for Humanity charity.

Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat for Humanity builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. While searching for a service project for the team to participate in this year, Kistler realized that Habitat was the best opportunity for a group of 40 able young men. He contacted the South Shore Habitat for Humanity and arranged for the team to get involved.

Participation by the team was so strong that there were too many volunteers for just one building site. The Jumbos went to work at two sites on Saturday, November 3, houses in Brockton and Braintree. They arrived at 8:00 in the morning and worked until 3:00 in the afternoon. Among the many tasks they finished was installing molding in rooms and hallways, shimming doorways, built racks for closets, cut wood to make doorways and attached them. They used buzz saws, nail guns, hammers, caulking, glue levelers and other tools. A large shed full of wood had to be cut to size according to measurements they made and then nailed onto walls.

"It went perfect," Kistler said. "We completed what the building manager had planned for the day and then kept working and did even more."

In addition to contributing to the community, Kistler noted that the work was also a lesson for the players.

"I know it taught a lot of guys patience because the guys who measured two or three times before they cut their wood fared much better than the people who at first measured only once, cut and then had to re-cut their wood because it was slightly off," he said.

"I continue to be impressed with our team, their character, and their work ethic," Coach Mike Daly said. "An event like this confirms everything I feel about our team. They are a pleasure to coach and I am humbled to be associated with them. This was a great opportunity for our team to give a little back. We are all so blessed and lucky with the opportunities we have and I hope this reminds us of that."

NCAA Tournament qualifiers and New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) first-place finishers last spring, the 2008 Tufts men's lacrosse team opens its season at home against Skidmore College on March 8.

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