The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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12 ■ THE WOLFPACKER O ne of the best ways of giving back to the community is by see- ing something impact families with your own eyes. The Habitat for Humanity campus chapter at NC State is aiming to raise $715,000 to build 11 town homes on Lake Wheeler Road in Raleigh. The fundraising is off to a good start, already reaching close to the halfway point. The project is the largest partnership in the country between a campus chapter and Habitat affiliate. Some lucky Wolfpack student-athletes will take part in the future when construction takes place next August or September. The sponsorships range from $5,000 for a day of construction to $65,000 for an entire house, and former NC State basketball player Smedes York has helped inspire the project. Former Wolfpack star athletes Torry Holt, Terrence Holt and Chris Corchiani are among the individuals who are helping with the project. "The Holt brothers have the celebrity and notoriety, so when they are involved in something, it really validates it," said York, who was Raleigh's 33rd mayor from 1979-83. "The same with Chris Corchiani. I love the fact that we have former athletes on the All- America level come back to the community and help. Their names resonate with people. They are good folks and I like the way they get involved in the community." York half-joked that he was a reserve that sat on the bench on a bad team at NC State. He earned a civil engineering degree from NC State in 1963 and a master of business administration degree from North Carolina in 1968. York knows that the NC State student-athletes that get selected to help build the homes will be able to lend their leadership skills, strength, coordination and endurance. "It's a great experience to get involved at that age and carry it on forward," York said. "The athletes by nature are competitive. These 11 homes will have different groups assigned to them. There will be a competition that takes place there." York understands the need for projects like this one. "A city and community are only as suc- cessful as their least successful people," York said. "You need to give everybody a hand up as supposed to a hand out. Hous- ing is intangible, and if you don't have a good, warm house to live, it's pretty hard to think you are going to be successful." NCSU director of athletics Debbie Yow has donated money to help uplift future families and alter the course of their lives. "NC State athletics is proud to sponsor a Habitat for Humanity home for a family in need," Yow said. "Our athletes and staff will also participate in the building of the home. This is what the Wolf- pack does. We rally around those in need." The Build-A-Block homes are projected to average 1,300 square feet, with five homes built in the fall and six more in the spring of 2017. The various times will allow spring student-athletes a chance to help in the fall, and fall athletes to help in the spring. The homes will be for low-income families who contribute 250 sweat equity hours building their homes and $1,500 to closing costs and an af- fordable mortgage, which totals no more than 30 percent of their income. NC State's Habitat chapter has helped build 22 homes and raise more than $300,000 through Shack-A-Thon since 1996. Habitat President and CEO Kevin Campbell hopes to build 50 to 60 homes over the next year in the Triangle area. Campbell enjoys the challenge of building homes with people who don't typically construct them in areas that developers often overlook for recipients who are getting a needed financial break. "Any house built is exciting and it makes a big difference for that particular family," said Campbell, who has been with Habitat for Humanity since 1988. "With this project and to have athletes, it can lend a lot of visibility too." Clemson rising junior quarterback Deshaun Watson grew up in a Habitat for Humanity home in Gainesville, Ga. He has since become a spokesperson for Habitat for Humanity. Campbell said having athletes involved creates energy in the Raleigh community. "We are always looking to do it in a way that attracts attention and shows the community what is going on," Campbell said. "If we can show the community what is going on, people are pretty willing to get involved." ■ NC State Athletics Helping Raise Money For Habitat For Humanity Project TRACKING THE PACK NC State Hall of Famer Torry Holt is one of several high-profile former Wolfpackers lending a hand to help the Habitat for Humanity campus chapter at NC State raise money for student-athletes to build homes. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN