Bulldogs in the Community

Being a University of Minnesota Duluth student-athlete 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, for the most part, been a focal point of Bulldog athletics 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 coummunities has generously given Bulldog athletics for the past eight decades.

The Bulldogs have been involved in countless charitable projects, including Adopt-A-Highway, UDAC’s Walk a Mile in My Shoes Walkathon,  Adopt-A-Family (Salvation Army), Pucks Against Poverty, Make-A-Wish, City of Duluth Clean-Up Project, American Heart Association’s Heart Walk, Toys for Tots, Buddy Walk, Dig for a Cure, 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 Boys and Girls Club of Duluth, the Damiano Center, Animal Allies, various elementary schools, youth clinics, carnivals and parties in addition to making numerous visits to local hospitals.

The UMD athletic department is committed to providing the Duluth, Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin communities with the time, effort and enthusiasm of some 400-plus 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.

FLAHERTY RECEIVES SHJON PODEIN COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD FOR 2012-13 

Senior hockey right winger Keegan Flaherty is the 2012-13 recipient of the 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 University communities. Since his arrival on the UMD campus nearly in 2009, Flaherty has been involved in a number of volunteering endeavors, including "Turf Time" at the Boy and Girls Club of Duluth, Udac's Walk A Mile In Our Shoes Walkathon, Pucks for Poverty, Guns and Hoses, and the Adopt-A-Highway programs. The Duluth East High School product and 2012-13 Bulldog assistant team captain also spent time reading at various Duluth elementary schools, visiting pediatric units at local hospitals, assisting with area youth hockey teams and helping out at two cancer fundraisers for a pair of Duluth Marshall students -- Conner Shockley and Morgan Long. Flaherty, a 2012-13 alternate team captain, skated in 148 games as a Bulldog and along the way attained WCHA All-Academic Team honors three times and a WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award as a sophomore.

Bulldogs in the Community

2009