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Canisius College
A Yorkton, Sask., native, Mark Persick has managed to
maintain honors program studies for a triple major in
Criminal Justice/Political Science/International Relations,
to play on the hockey team, and to organize and participate
in many charitable events in his first three years at
Canisius College. He has effectively used his connection
with the hockey team to create community service opportunities.
Persick has organized monthly visits to Buffalo’s
Women and Children’s Hospital, during which time
student-athletes participate in pizza parties, tree
decorating, and other holiday activities with patients.
He has initiated fundraising by the hockey team for
Roswell Park Cancer Institute and held sales of holiday
cards designed by patients at a mall and at various
hockey games.
He collected donations from the hockey team for an annual
support of St. Anne’s Parish. Over $150 was collected
and a group of volunteers purchased bags and boxes of
food to be taken to the orphanage by the hockey team.
The team will also be volunteering at the soup kitchen
in the upcoming semester.
In order to increase student involvement and attendance
at home athletic events, Persick created and organized
Canisius’ "Dorm Wars" project.
Additionally, he organized a program to give immigrants
from Vive La Casa, a layover for immigrants waiting
for INS approval, free tickets and transportation to
Canisius hockey games, as well as weekend use of the
college’s athletic facilities.
In addition, Persick participated in last summer’s
community day cleanup of the Hamlin Park area and was
part of a landscape crew that built a flower garden
in an empty lot.
Currently, he is working with the Alumni Associations
of Canisius, Buffalo State College, and The University
of Buffalo to arrange a citywide food drive, which will
feature a competition between the three schools to see
which school can bring in the most food. At the end
of the week, the president of the losing school will
have to wear the winner’s logos for a day.
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