The holiday season will be a little bit brighter for numerous Newark youngsters thanks to the collaboration of Scarlet Raider Athletics and the Rutgers-Newark Department of Social Work. Social work professor Elizabeth Sloan Power and Scarlet Raider women’s basketball coach Kevin Morris teamed to help generate the donation of over 100 unwrapped toys which will be donated through Newark Emergency Services for Families (NESF).

Highlighted by a “donation at the door night” for the Rutgers-Newark versus Richard Stockton men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader on December 3, and assisted by additional donations received through Scarlet Raider student-athletes, the on-campus toy drive helped link Rutgers-Newark academics and athletics for the benefit of needy children in our area.

"Well over 250 homeless families throughout the Newark area will benefit from the toys the students collected this past semester. I want to thank all the students involved, the athletics department, and Kevin Morris in particular. Kevin's enthusiasm to collaborate was amazing. I am sure I can speak for Kevin in inviting other Rutgers collaborations for next year's toy drive. After all, the more toys, the merrier!"

Scarlet Raider women’s tennis captain Karla Ruaya was a key contributor to the drive. Representing the Scarlet Raider basketball teams were junior center Chinedu Ibeh and senior guard Alexandra Munoz. Representing the Rutgers-Newark social work department were students Luis Dumas, Willie Hernandez, Mirna Osorto, Angela Cintron and Barbara Cid.