ISU Rugby Team to lend hands (and muscle and money) to Aid for Friends at homeless encampment fundraiser Dec. 4-5

At least fifteen members of the Idaho State University Rugby Team will help the homeless by offering their labor, time and collected donations for the Aid for Friends fourth annual Homeless Encampment in Pocatello's Caldwell Park on Dec. 4-5.

The ISU Rugby Team has been recruited to unload donated boxes – which will become shelters for participants sleeping in the park that night – on Saturday morning.  The team will also set up the camp’s fire drums and a windbreak to protect those vital fires, and help breakdown camp on Sunday. A dozen team members will also spend the night and collect donations during the Aid for Friends biggest and most important fundraiser of the year.

"We’re excited to have the ISU Rugby Team’s involvement," said B.J. Stensland, Aid for Friends director. "It is great to see ISU students getting involved and we hope other students and the whole ISU community will support them. We're looking forward to having all that muscle to help with camp setup and breakdown, which will make the whole encampment go smoother."

The encampment is organized to highlight the plight of the homeless in Pocatello and to raise money for Aid for Friends, which has operated a homeless shelter in Pocatello since 1984. The shelter is operated 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and offers services to single men, single women, married couples and families with children.

"The past year, we’ve served a higher number of homeless than we ever have before, offering 8,000 bed nights at our facility," Stensland said. "We're counting on continued support from the community to help these individuals and families in need."

ISU Rugby coach Ram Eddings said he wasn’t surprised by his team's actions.

"I feel real comfortable with my guys any time there is community service they can get involved with. They’re always willing," Eddings said. "The guys are also looking forward to learning something and to get that experience on how it feels to be homeless. It will be a good learning experience and something they will remember."

The ISU Rugby Team is looking for encampment pledges to raise money for Aid for Friends. Those interested in pledging support for the ISU Rugby Team can contact Eddings or Amy Slack at (208) 282-3242, eddirams@isu.edu or slacamy@isu.edu. Other ISU clubs that want to participate can contact Victoria Roberts of the Union Program Council's Volunteer Services at 282-3494 or upc@isu.edu.

For more information on Aid for Friends and the encampment, visit http://aidforfriendspocatello.org/ or call (208) 282-0178).

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