Vols, Lady Vols host dinner of thanks

University of Tennessee athletes are used to bringing sports cheers to fans, but Sunday they tried to bring some holiday cheer.

With Thanksgiving approaching, several dozen athletes hosted a special dinner at Gibbs Hall for about 50 clients of Volunteer Ministry Center.

While the visitors from the center were getting plenty of food and prizes, the athletes were receiving quite a bit as well in terms of satisfaction.

"It is very special," said softball player Allison Fulmer, the vice president of the UT Student Athlete Advisory Council and the daughter of head football coach Phillip Fulmer.

"As athletes, we are given so much. To give back and see people's faces light up, that is what being a true Tennessee Volunteer is all about."

Besides enjoying a hearty meal, which included turkeys donated by Food City, the visitors also were treated to some holiday carols and games, such as bingo. Sports apparel donated by the various UT teams also were presented.

The two groups enjoyed plenty of camaraderie, as the athletes dined and conversed with the visitors, who are facing homelessness issues.

"It is a chance to get to know the people and relate to them," said baseball player Mike Moore, a senior from Charlotte, N.C. "They have a bunch of questions for us."

Bruce Spangler, the chief operating officer of the center, said the event is good in that it offers the clients - or neighbors as they are officially called - an opportunity to escape their feelings of hopelessness.

"It is a good time to do some socializing," he said. "It is a way to be human again."

The event may even be more worthwhile for the athletes, Spangler added.

"In some ways I think it ends up serving the student athletes as much as our neighbors," he said.

Moore said he was definitely having fun. "It has been a good time and a real good experience," he said.

Fulmer, a public relations major and business minor who hopes to get into sports administration, said SAAC tries to have several major outreach programs a year. Individual teams also do their own volunteer activities.

And this time of year is especially meaningful to help, she said.

"People are getting so many gifts, but these people aren't able to have anything," she said.