FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Averett University's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee raised a record $4,396.21 to win the USA South Conference's "Pennies for a Purpose" for the second consecutive year.
 
The amount Averett raised is the highest single-year total collected in the history of this competition, eclipsing former conference member Shenandoah University's mark of $2,425.73 set in 2010. Averett will be re-presented the Pennies for a Purpose plaque at a later date.

"It's very exciting to help Averett win 'Pennies for a Purpose' for the second consecutive year," Averett SAAC President Samm Chandler said.  "There was a lot of hard work and planning involved to help us exceed our collections from last year's competition, so it's awesome to see us succeed in that goal. I'm even more excited that we are able to use the money we collected to help members of the Averett family who have been affected by cancer, as well as The V Foundation."
 
In an effort to help worthy organizations during the spring semester, the USA South SAAC developed, "Pennies for a Purpose" in 2008. This year's community service initiative, in its ninth year, began as the student-athletes returned from winter break. The schools had until April 7 to collect loose change which would later be donated to an organization of their choosing. The end of this year's initiative coincides with the NCAA's fifth annual Division III Week.
 
Overall, Averett and the rest of the USA South institutions collected a record $10,084.36. Averett was among eight institutions which improved its totals from the previous year while seven of those institutions including Averett established program records for funds collected. Over the nine-year history of the program, the USA South institutions have donated $42,255.93 to local organizations.
 
"I'm again so proud of SAAC and the whole campus community for joining together as one team," Averett Director of Athletics Meg Stevens said. "To win 'Pennies for a Purpose' for the second consecutive time in addition to 'Cans Across the Conference' last fall is a testament to their hard work. More importantly, we were able to benefit a greater cause in the process in each of those wins."
 
LaGrange College raised $1,491.20 to finish second with the sixth-highest single-year total collected. In third place was Maryville College with $1,257.93 raised which is the seventh-highest single-year amount collected. Rounding out the top-four was Methodist University, which collected $1,227.02 which is the eighth-highest single-year amount raised.
 
Averett has won the last three USA South community service competitions. In addition to repeating as the "Pennies for a Purpose" champion, the Cougars also claimed first in the "Cans Across the Conference" competition last fall by collecting 12,146 items. Last spring, Averett SAAC raised $1,805 for "Pennies for a Purpose."
 
 

Below is a list of the local organizations where the USA South institutions donated their collections:
Averett University - The Jimmy V Foundation for cancer research and assisting a former Averett student-athlete battling cancer.
Covenant College - Members of the Covenant community battling Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Ferrum College - St. James Food Pantry.
Greensboro College - Make A Wish foundation.
LaGrange College - Autism Speaks.
Mary Baldwin College - The Mary Baldwin chapter of Help Save The Next Girl.
Maryville College - Split between The Kay Yow Foundation, Knoxville Area Rescue Mission, Second Harvest and Special Olympics.
Meredith College - Special Olympics of Wake County, North Carolina.
Methodist University - The Kay Yow Foundation.
N.C. Wesleyan College - The Wounded Warrior Project.
William Peace University - Coaches vs. Cancer.