Fayetteville, NC (December 15, 2020) – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) in conjunction with sporting goods and outdoor retailer Academy Sports + Outdoors established meaningful community service initiatives across established markets within the CIAA footprint. As part of a Holiday Market Moment Initiative spearheaded by the CIAA Senior Woman Administrators Association, Fayetteville State University athletic administrators helped present $1,000 worth of equipment to the Douglas Byrd District of Cumberland County School youth.
 
On Tuesday, December 15, FSU Director of Athletics Anthony Bennett and Assistant AD/SWA Dr. LaWanda Miller made the presentation on behalf of the CIAA at the Fayetteville Academy Sports + Outdoors location. The donation will benefit middle school-aged youth and include strength and conditioning equipment, medicine balls, bands, and more.
 
"I would like to thank the CIAA and Academy Sports + Outdoors for establishing such an excellent initiative for the youth of our community," said Anthony Bennett. "I am honored that Fayetteville State University Athletics was entrusted in identifying a youth group to receive this opportunity."

 

"It's always exciting to play an integral role in establishing meaningful and impactful connections in our own community," added Dr. LaWanda Miller. "Academy's Community Engagement Platform and partnership with the CIAA helps us in FSU Athletics to further exemplify our dedication to community service and community-focused initiatives that directly keep our communities thriving."
 
Academy Sports + Outdoors store manager Chris Hawk rolled out the cart of items selected to Douglas Byrd Middle School representatives Lena Murphy and Keith Blackwell, FSU alum and former Bronco women's tennis coach who is now an instructor and coach at DBMS.
 
"We truly, truly thank FSU and Academy Sports for thinking about the (Douglas) Byrd area youth," said Blackwell.  "We are grateful for the additional resources and look forward to maintaining a long-standing mentoring relationship with the FSU community."
 
Fayetteville State joins Claflin, Johnson C. Smith, Livingstone, Saint Augustine's, Shaw, and Winston-Salem State in the Holiday Market Moment.

Academy Sports + Outdoors is the Official Sporting Goods and Outdoor Retailer of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).
 
"Academy Sports + Outdoors is proud and excited to partner with one of America's oldest athletic conferences, who has a rich tradition of athletic excellence, educational opportunity, and community involvement," said Lawrence Lobpries, Academy Sports + Outdoors' senior vice president of marketing. "Through this new partnership, we're excited to implement impactful initiatives that are inclusive for everyone in our local communities."
 
About Academy Sports + Outdoors   
Academy is one of the leading full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailers in the United States. Originally founded in 1938 as a family business in Texas, Academy has grown to 259 stores across 16 contiguous states, primarily in the southern United States. Academy's mission is to provide "Fun for All" and Academy fulfills this mission with a localized merchandising strategy and value proposition that strongly connects with a broad range of consumers. Academy's product assortment focuses on key categories of outdoor, apparel, footwear, and sports & recreation through both leading national brands and a portfolio of 17 private label brands, which go well beyond traditional sporting goods and apparel offerings.