Inside Bulldog Athletics
Bulldogs in the Community
Being a student-athlete at the University of Minnesota Duluth means more than just academics and sports. It's about learning some of life's simple lessons, such as it is always better to give than to receive. Community service work has been a focal point of Bulldog athletics almost since its inception. UMD student-athletes, as well as coaches and staff, continuously seek opportunities to volunteer their time and reciprocate the support that Duluth and the surrounding communities has generously given Bulldog athletics for the past seven decades.
The Bulldogs have been involved in countless charitable projects, including Adopt-A-Highway, City of Duluth Clean-Up Project, American Heart Association's Heart Walk, Toys for Tots, The Teddy Bear Toss, Buddy Walk, Habitat for Humanity, Jump for Heart, Lion's Club Pancake Day, Adopt-A-School, Kid's Fest, Mentor Duluth Appreciation Night, Daffodil Days (American Cancer Society), the Grant Elementary School Reading Partners program, and YMCA Kid's Day. UMD student-athletes have also volunteered at the Boy's and Girl's Club of Duluth, the Damiano Center, the Youth In Action group, and the Salvation Army Gift Wrapping Booth, various elementary school/youth clinics, carnivals, parties, dinners and hospital visits.
The UMD athletic department is committed to providing the Duluth, Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin communities with the time, effort and enthusiasm of close to 450 student-athletes, coaches, staff, and even Champ the Bulldog. If the Bulldogs can help your organization or school in any way, please contact the UMD Athletic Department at (218) 726-8168.
MATTILA NAMED WINNER OF SHJON PODEIN COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD FOR 2007-08
Junior hockey forward Tawni Mattila of Duluth (Central High School) was bestowed with the 2007-08 Shjon Podein Community Service Award, which has been presented annually since 2003 to a UMD student-athlete who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the field of play and has made noteworthy humanitarian contributions in the Duluth and UMD communities. Over the past three years, Mattila has been involved in a number of volunteering endeavors, including a stint in the physical therapy department at the Duluth Clinic where she spent 8-10 hours per week last summer interacting with patients. She's also volunteered her time working with young children at Lowell Elementary School and the Gnesen Town Hall, as a tutor at Hermantown Elementary School and as a hockey coach with the Proctor Bantam A boy's and Minnesota Select girl's teams. For the last six years, Mattila has participated in the local Buddy Walk, an annual event which raises money and awareness for people with Down's Syndrome. Mattila, an alternate team captain this winter with the NCAA champion Bulldogs, was a 2007-08 WCHA Scholar-Athlete and an WCHA All-Academic Team pick.