CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois women's golf team will be spending their off season doing more than just practicing their game. The Fighting Illini have been involved in the community, and will continue to have a positive impact as the spring season nears.

"We have various leadership groups within our team and community service is one of the six areas of leadership," head coach Renee Slone said. "The community service team of Dana Gattone, Katherine Hepler and Swing Liu created a list of community service opportunities with the assistance of the rest of the team and (assistant director of academic services, student development) Kathy Kaler. We wanted to assist a variety of organizations in the community with a hands on effort."

Throughout the fall semester, the Illini have spent time at the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, which serves 17 counties in eastern Illinois. The Eastern Illinois Foodbank's purpose is to "alleviate hunger in eastern Illinois by providing a reliable source of food for the hungry through cooperation with a network of food pantries and agencies."

The women's golf team also participated in the MIX 94.5's "Wish on Wheels" fundraiser on Friday, Nov. 25. For "Wish on Wheels" the team participated with other Illinois teams and organizations by going around downtown Champaign on a pedalbus to raise money for MIX 94.5's Christmas Wish fund. The fund is designed to "make a merrier Christmas for those in need" by MIX 94.5, and the "Wish on Wheels" fundraiser raised $17,000, exceeding the goal of $15,000.

In December, the Illini are also planning to volunteer at Salt & Light Ministries in the coming weeks. The mission of Salt & Light Ministries is to provide "opportunities for those living in poverty to equip themselves with the tools they need to create lasting change in their lives." In December, the women's golf team plans to volunteer at the It Takes a Village Toy Drive. The event, orchestrated by It Takes A Village Central Illinois, aims to give families who may not be able to purchase toys to have a "similar shopping experience to a store but no cost to them."

"The events provide our team members with the opportunity to interact with community members and is a small token of our gratitude for the tremendous support the Champaign-Urbana community provides to Fighting Illini Athletics," Slone said. "It also allows the team to make a positive impact on the lives of others and emphasizes the importance of giving to others."

For more information on the various community service initiatives the Illinois women's golf team is involved in, click the links below:

Eastern Illinois Foodbank

MIX 94.5 Christmas Wish fund

Salt & Light Ministries

It Takes A Village Central Illinois