University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt Football Newcomers Visit Mel Blount Youth Home
7/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
CLAYSVILLE, Pa. – One offseason tradition for the University of Pittsburgh football team, the annual freshman class and transfers visit to the Mel Blount Youth Home south of the city, put smiles on the faces of dozens of local children Friday as the newest Panthers interacted with youth campers.
In their first community outreach opportunity, all of Pitt football’s true freshmen and first-year transfers grouped up with kids from the Pittsburgh Public Schools, organized teamwork activities and ran fundamental football drills before enjoying lunch with NFL Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount, a four-time Super Bowl champion and five-time Pro Bowl selection with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Blount called the relationship between Pitt football and the Mel Blount Youth Home, which has grown each year since starting in 2008, a mutual “win-win” situation that gives a group of Pittsburgh children a fun day of exercising and learning together with Pitt student-athletes at the Steelers legend’s ranch in Washington County.
“This means so much to our program and these kids, who are out here having a great time,” Blount said. “And it’s good for the (Pitt) freshmen to interact with the kids, because it gets them in community activities. Our whole mission is to help kids mentally and physically evolve to develop strong minds and strong bodies. That process starts here.
“The University of Pittsburgh is a leader in this community when it comes to activities like this,” Blount added. “It’s important to share, give back, talk with them about what it takes, encourage them and let them know how important it is to follow instructions and obey the rules and regulations. We need more good young people coming up who can take responsibility and do the right thing."
In conjunction with Pitt’s continuously expanding Cathy and John Pelusi Family Life Skills Pogram, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student Life Penny Semaia has organized the Pitt football’s annual visit to the Mel Blount Youth Home as an impactful introduction to community service for the freshmen and transfers.
As some of the newest Panthers, including standout Pittsburgh-area recruits Damar Hamlin, Aaron Mathews and more, played catch with a football while joking and laughing with the campers, Pitt Coordinator of Life Skills Colin Sisk outlined why the University of Pittsburgh football team and the Mel Blount Youth Home work so well together.
“For our first-year football players, this day helps establish an ethic of serving beyond what we need to in order to benefit others and help those in the community,” Sisk said. “We do this with the Mel Blount Youth Home in particular because this organization has a heartfelt belief in values that align with our own, such as fostering leadership and growth from the young kids here and also our student-athletes. We have a lot of fun coming here every year, and we hope to expand on this relationship with Mr. Blount’s organization in the future.”
For more information on the Mel Blount Youth Home, click here.
