The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1476803
TRACKING THE PACK 18 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Etch Your Name Into Wolfpack History One Brick At A Time 1. Orders will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. You will receive a confirmation email within 30 days of your order. Please review it carefully. If you do not receive a confirmation email or a correction is necessary, please notify us at nick.rushing@wolfpackclub.com or at 919-865-1496. 2. In order for the Wolfpack Club to accommodate requests for bricks to be placed next to each other, the orders must be submitted together with proper instructions. Every effort will be made to accommodate these requests. 3. All text will be a standard size, font, and style. Greek letters and other symbols not found on a standard keyboard may not be used. 4. Messages will be centered automatically. The use of upper and lower case lettering is permitted. All spaces and punctuation marks count as a character. 5. The Wolfpack Club reserves the right to exclude orders that it deems to contain inappropriate language. 6. The Wolfpack Club will determine the final placement of all bricks. Help fulfill the vision by leaving your legacy etched on a brick on the north plaza walkway connecting the PNC Arena and Carter-Finley Stadium. Ordering Instructions: To order please contact us at nick.rushing@wolfpackclub.com or 919-865-1496. brick flyer for wolfpacker.indd 1 8/21/2018 11:03:30 AM NC State senior long snapper Joe Shimko is one of the best at what he does. He is one of 25 players nationally and three from the ACC to be on the preseason watch list for the Patrick Mannelly Award, given to college football's top long snapper. That's a byproduct of having 174 long snaps and 180 short snaps since arriving in 2019 without a misfire. Shimko was named a first-team 2022 preseason All-American by Phil Steele. Shimko is also a success in the classroom, making the Aca- demic All-ACC Football squad last season. The sports manage- ment major anticipates graduating from NC State in December. Then there is his charitable work, including an impressive $160,000 raised for three important causes. Two are from his home state of New Jersey. One works with Monmouth County Commissioner Tom Arnone, who is the di- rector of the Board of Commissioners, and his charity the Mon- mouth Ocean Foundation for Children. The goal is to launch The Achieve Academy for Adults with Autism to help the special needs population over the age of 21. The other is a project run by state Sen. Vin Gopal and his Vin Gopal Civic Association, which opened the Food Pantry and Family Services Center in Red Bank, N.J., in June. "They have been very involved in my athletic career through- out high school," Shimko noted of Gopal and Arnone. Raising money for their respective causes was a way for Shimko to thank them. He also was able to take a portion of the cash raised and give back to a cause dear to the NC State football team. In recent years, NC State has hosted a mock practice day for special needs children at GiGi's Playhouse, a Down syndrome support community. That event has be- come a highlight of training camp for the Wolfpack. Around 50 participants from GiGi's Playhouse do drills and then are able to score a touchdown in a simulated play with the team. This year, on what is called "Victory Day," Shimko surprised the organization with a $25,000 donation. "I don't understand the challenges that special needs chil- dren go through every day," Shimko noted. "I don't have to go through that, so I don't know it. … I have a very small under- standing of it, but to be able to help them out as much as pos- sible is very nice." For Shimko, the decision to become active in various causes was partially based on some advice from his father, Rob Shimko. "My dad has always been telling me I should do something with the platform that I have, that it would be great to help out because I have the ability to do that," Shimko said. Shimko's time-management skills, which have allowed him to become an elite college long snapper and a strong student while also performing ample community service, can be traced back to his parents. His father had a very travel-intensive job for much of Shimko's childhood. "If it needed to be done, my mom would work jobs to help add to the income," Shimko said. "I learned what a work ethic is and how to take care of yourself and take care of others." — Matt Carter STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE MONTH FOOTBALL SENIOR LONG SNAPPER JOE SHIMKO PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS