When a high school student has a mindset towards becoming a collegiate student-athlete, there are a myriad of things the individual focuses on.  They analyze the prospective school's academics, relationship with the coach, geographic location, traditions and potential success (to name a few). They envision themselves playing a role towards the program's success and dream of winning a national title. What they don't envision is becoming part of someone else's dream and the reality of making that person's dream come true.
 
Olivia Anders is a spunky eight-year-old girl and is the "boss," wherever she goes. Tackling cheerleading, ballet and t-ball, Olivia is a star at Preston Smith Elementary and joy to be around, including in the eyes of her classmates. Olivia has dreams of being a cheerleader when she is a "grown-up."
 
In 2015, the Anders family learned their family would be looking at a future of challenges, as Olivia was diagnosed with Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL) and with Cerebral Palsy (CP).  One of the challenges the Anders family faced is finding funds to assist Olivia's everyday battles. The family created "Olivia Needs a Ride," which is a nonprofit created to raise funds to purchase Olivia an indoor power wheelchair, an outdoor power wheelchair, and a wheelchair accessible van.
 
At the 1998 NCAA Convention, a NCAA association-wide committee was adopted and called SAAC (Student -Athlete Advisory Committee). In NCAA Division II, the SAAC serves as the primary governance arm representing student-athlete interests in Division II affairs. SAAC members serve as student-athlete liaisons that monitor and discuss happenings on campuses, within conference and at the national level.
 
"Each year, the NCAA and Lone Star Conference encourage institutions' SAACs to host a 'signature event' to collect donations for a non-profit organization of their choosing," said LCU's assistant athletic director for compliance/SWA, Jessica Pope, who serves as the faculty advisor overseeing LCU's SAAC. "This year's SAAC felt that the signature event should benefit a local non-profit organization. They (SAAC members at LCU) wanted to make an impact on someone in their local community."

 
Pope continued, "I became aware of the 'Olivia Needs a Ride' nonprofit organization through one of LCU's Board of Trustees members, Linda 'LuLu' Gaither. Lulu and her long-time best friend, Emily Ratcliff, both of which are LCU graduates, created this nonprofit organization to raise funds to benefit Miss. Olivia Anders and her family."
 
LCU's SAAC wanted to "give Olivia a ride," and the planning stages began. They wanted Olivia to be an honorary member of the Lady Chaparrals women's basketball team for their home opener on November 19, 2021 against Lander.
 
"Everyone wanted to make sure that Olivia was treated like an 'Honorary Lady Chap' from beginning to end of the entire evening," said Pope. "In the weeks leading up to the event, Zach Stepp, SAAC's Vice President, and myself met with the Anders (family) and had multiple conversations to walk through every detail from how Olivia would be included in all pregame warmups and routines, to presenting her with a signed game ball as halftime and letting her be part of the winning celebration with the Lady Chaps in the locker room."
 
"The planning stages were a cumulative effort between several departments," said Stepp, who is a member of the LCU men's basketball program. "My personal favorite part was physically walking the Anders family through the plan in the Rip Griffin Center. We got the sense that Olivia would enjoy the festivities."
 

As planned, on Nov. 19, 2021, Olivia was front-and-center during pregame, in-game and postgame. Olivia was wheeled out onto the floor with the team, as they entered the tunnelway leading from the locker room to the game floor. She was courtside on the bench receiving the real experience as a student-athlete.
 
"The memory that will stick with me is the look Olivia had when she was down on the court interacting with the Lady Chaps and cheerleaders," added Stepp. "Her face was lit up and glowing, she was having so much fun." 
 
One the Lady Chaps starting players is Ashton Duncan, who serves as the SAAC President at LCU. "The SAAC planning committee for this event (headed by Stepp) planned everything out, along with Jessica (Pope) and Kim Wheeler (LCU's director of athletic engagement)," said Duncan. "It was special getting to push her out of the tunnel when we ran out to finish warm-ups."
 
Members of SAAC set up a table at the game and sold "Olivia Needs a Ride" merchandise. Donation buckets were also on hand at the table for individuals to donate as they walked in the game. Additionally, SAAC members walked around with the donation buckets between quarters and at time-outs to collect any donations.
 
After the game, Olivia was in the locker room celebrating a very nerve-racking LCU victory over No.1 Lander.
 
"Olivia and her parents got to come up to the locker room after the game," Duncan commented. "She was so excited and her parents were very appreciative. It was a humbling moment because we had just played a really close game against Lander, but Olivia helped shift our perspective really quickly." 
 
Duncan continued, "SAAC has allowed me to get out my comfort zone. Organizing events and community involvement is not always easy, but it is rewarding when we are able to raise money for special foundations and bless people. We have been very blessed and are fortunate to be at LCU, so it is a privilege to be able to give back to this community."
 
Olivia's special night is not the only night LCU's SAAC committee has focused on. Here are some of the other successful SAAC events completed this season:
 
Play for the Cure Pink-Out Volleyball Game on October 22^nd
Raised $818.45 for Susan G. Komen North & West Texas
 
Hosted a shoe drive at the NCAA Cross Country Regionals on November 6^th to benefits Soles4Souls
Collected 112 pairs of shoes
 
Hosted a canned/nonperishable food items drive at the Men's Basketball Game on November 20^th and donated them to the Salvation Army in Lubbock
Collected 468 food items
 
And there are more planned:
 
Blue Out Baseball – Team Luke Day
February 26 – Hays Field
 
Military Appreciate – LCU Softball
March 25 – PlainsCapital Park
 
Color Run
In April To Be Announced
 
So how did Olivia's night turn out? 
 
From a team perspective, the night was a success, as LCU opened the home schedule with a huge meaningful victory.
 
As far as the Anders and the Olivia Needs a Ride nonprofit, the SAAC raised $12,410. They have now successfully raised enough money for Olivia's new wheelchair, and the SAAC's fundraising event marked the first donation toward purchasing the wheelchair accessible van.
 
And as far as Olivia… She now keeps the game ball from her special night as a Lady Chap next to her when she sleeps and dreams a new dream… Being a cheerleader has been trumped by dreams of playing basketball.
 
 
 
For additional information on how you can assist Olivia Needs a Ride, visit their website. LCU's SAAC is a fabric of a student-athlete driven program the NCAA encourages and is a spotlight committee that makes Division II Day (2/22/22) significant. The committee relies on fundraisers to make many events a success. Businesses and individuals wanting more information regarding LCU's SAAC can contact Jessica Pope at jessica.pope@lcu.edu .