Student-Athletes Deliver Magical Holiday Season for Local Families
12/19/2025 1:31:00 PM | MizzouMade
Mizzou student-athletes have made a lasting impact across the Columbia community during the 2025 holiday season through the continued growth of the Adopt-A-Family initiative, led by the MOmentum Institute, Mizzou's student-athlete development hub, in partnership with the Volunteer Action Center (VAC) and the Mizzou Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Each Mizzou Athletics team was guided by a SAAC representative and collectively sponsored family wish lists, reinforcing a team-centered approach to service that emphasized leadership, collaboration and intentional giving. Student-athletes took ownership of the effort from start to finish, further strengthening the culture of service across the department.
The 2025 initiative reached a new milestone, supporting 24 families representing 121 individuals throughout the Columbia area. Several teams sponsored multiple families, highlighting a deepened and expanding commitment to community engagement within Mizzou Athletics.
"One of our three building blocks of the MOmentum Institute is community service. Seeing our student's get excited about pouring back into the community that cheer for their success on the field is rewarding," said Katie Martinez, Mizzou's Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development. "Adopt-A-Family is one of our largest community service activities that we execute and it keeps growing every single year. Our student-athletes believe that every step matters and show this by engaging in service learning. For Fall 2025 alone Mizzou Athletics completed 5,300 hours!"
Student-athletes collected and organized donated gifts at the MOmentum Institute before loading two passenger vans and delivering the items to the designated drop-off site on Dec. 10. The scale and coordination of this year's effort reflected the passion, generosity and leadership displayed by Mizzou student-athletes during the holiday season.
"Adopt-A-Family is one of my favorite things every year," said Addison Lawrence, a member of the Mizzou gymnastics program and SAAC student engagement coordinator. "Doing something that has such a direct impact on families in Columbia is truly amazing. Mizzou Athletics sponsored a record number of families, and it was the largest year for the organization as a whole. As athletes, we are extremely fortunate, so being able to give back in such a meaningful way is incredibly heartwarming. It also gives us another way to connect as athletes and reminds me why Mizzou is so special."
"It was a great experience getting to help kids in need this holiday season," said Mizzou wrestling's Jarrett Stoner, who serves as the SAAC vice president. "Our team raised nearly $2,000 and sponsored 23 individuals through wrestling alone. From shopping and organizing to delivering the gifts, the time and effort were well worth it for the pride we felt and the joy of giving back."
The MOmentum Institute continues to champion student-athlete development through leadership, service and community engagement. The sustained growth of the Adopt-A-Family initiative underscores the meaningful impact Mizzou student-athletes can make when empowered to lead with purpose.
