ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Missouri Western State University student-athletes once again partnered with the St. Joseph AFL-CIO to lead the 17^th annual "Griffs Giving Gifts" initiative, as Griffon student-athletes adopted needy families for the holidays.

This year, Griffon student-athletes raised and donated over $2,300, adopting six families in the St. Joseph area.

"Giving back to our community is one of the most important things that our student-athletes can do," said Greysen Dudley, Compliance and Academics Coordinator at Missouri Western. "We are so grateful for the support we receive from our community, and I am proud of the work our student-athletes have done to provide some of that support back to people in need here in St. Joseph."

Griffs Giving Gifts began in 2004 with a small group from the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. It has evolved into an all-sport, all hands on deck endeavor. Each year, student-athletes spend their fall semester fundraising and donating funds to support needy families in the local community.

In 2021, the Griffs Giving Gifts initiative was recognized by the NCAA as Missouri Western was one of 28 schools nationally to be named a finalist for the 2021 Division II Award of Excellence, an accolade recognizing initiatives that exemplify the Division II philosophy, community engagement, and student-athlete leadership.