TOWSON, Md. - With the 2024-25 season officially behind us, the Landmark Conference proudly looks back on a year full of solid performances and meaningful achievements across all 10 member schools. Over the next two weeks, we'll be featuring a different institution each week with their top moments and stories. Check back often and click the link below to explore the full recap.
Landmark Conference Yearbook
Wilkes women’s soccer goalkeeper Amanda Lee, along with the help of her teammates and other Wilkes University athletic teams, organized a gift drive to help spread Christmas cheer to children in need at Kistler Elementary School.
Ten Wilkes teams participated in giving gifts to around 200 kindergarten and autistic support students at the school and delivered them during the morning. Santa Claus himself even made an appearance!
Lee, a pharmacy student at Wilkes, has done community service projects with Kistler before, including helping clean up their library, repainting benches and the school’s playground, and reading with the students. This year, in coordination with Kistler principal Corey Brenner and assistant principal Melinda Heffron, she strove for a bigger project at the school.
“When I went to the principal of Kistler [Corey Brenner] with the idea, he said that many kids at the school don’t get to experience opening a gift for the holidays, which is why we wanted to do something like this and give them that experience,” Lee said. “One kid said he’d never seen Santa before yesterday and to give them that experience was absolutely amazing. I feel so fortunate that I, as well as everyone involved, was able to give these kids an experience like that.”
To Lee’s surprise, Wilkes donated even more gifts than anticipated, donating the extra gifts for classroom use. Gifts included toys, children’s books and coloring books among others.
“I cannot thank the coaches of the teams that participated, players that showed up to the school, and everyone who purchased and wrapped gifts enough for all of their support and contribution,” Lee said. “I was blown away by how many student-athletes and coaches came to the school yesterday. My coaches, Coach [John] McNichol and Coach Lilly [Cross] were incredibly supportive and so helpful, and I can’t thank them enough. Also, my teammates went above and beyond in purchasing and wrapping so many gifts and to see all of them show up to the school yesterday to support this was amazing.”