2013-14 Bucknell Men's Basketball Media Guide - Bucknell Athletics

Community & Alumni Relations
Bison Give Back to the Lewisburg Community
Head coach Dave Paulsen believes very strongly in giving back to the local community that has shown so much support to the Bison basketball
program throughout the years. Paulsen and his team have conducted free instructional clinics and autograph sessions. Team members have visited
local elementary schools to participate in the Dream to Read program, where players read books with youngsters in their classrooms. The team
visits a local soup kitchen to serve meals to needy families and also makes regular appearances at the Lewisburg Food Bank.
In recent years the team has made it a tradition to pay a Halloween visit to the Janet Weis Children’s Hospital at the Geisinger Medical Center in
Danville, Pa., each fall. The coaching staff and a host of Bison players make the trip to the hospital to lift the spirits of the children they spend time
with. For the student-athletes, the experience is both eye-opening and gratifying. For the last two years, Bucknell coaches and student-athletes have
participated in the Beads of Courage program, which helps children endure cancer treatment by marking milestones as a symbol of their courage.
Bison players wear beads during a practice, and then visit the Janet Weis Children’s Hospital to give the beads to the children.
On Jan. 5, 2014, the Bison will host the Tenth Annual Dirk Sojka Slam Dunk with
Bison Basketball, with proceeds benefitting Suncom Industries, where persons with
disabilities learn to reach their full potential. Suncom was the workplace of Dirk Sojka,
son of Gary and Sandy Sojka, until Dirk’s passing in July 2002.
Paulsen and his staff also place great emphasis on alumni relations, keeping former
Bison players in the Bucknell Basketball family. The annual golf tournament is one of
several events geared toward alums and supporters of the program. This past summer,
more than 100 golfers participated in the event. This year’s annual Alumni Game will
be held on Jan. 25, 2014.
Ryan Hill and Mike Muscala hard at work at the local food bank.
A standing-room-only crowd joined the Bison at the Campus Theatre to watch the 2013 NCAA Selection
Show.
Dave Paulsen throws out the first pitch at a Bucknell
baseball game.
Cameron Ayers presents a “Bead of Courage” that he wore during a practice before
Bucknell’s NCAA Tournament game to 15-year-old MacKenzie Riley, whose mother
Allison Stepp (middle) takes tickets at Bison basketball games.
Stephen Tyree and Chris Niesz take the opening tap at the 2013 Alumni Game.
Large crowds return each spring for the Bison Basketball golf outing.
Bucky makes an appearance at Suncom Industries.
2013-14 Bucknell Men’s Basketball • 62 • www.BucknellBison.com