Duke Athletics is committed to giving back to both the campus and surrounding community. By providing opportunities for student-athletes to serve, these young men and women make meaningful contributions to society. Teams as well as individual student-athletes are involved in numerous charity and community organizations, schools and hospitals. Some student-athletes have also created, initiated and implemented service projects/activities with assistance and support from Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership and Community Service office on campus.

Read With the Blue Devils 
The Read With The Blue Devils program is intended to aid area teachers by providing reading incentives for third and fourth graders in Durham. By reading for 15 minutes for 12 nights, a youngster is able to reach various levels and earn Blue Devil gifts along the way. Among the prizes given out are autographed team photos, posters, t-shirts and chances to meet Duke student-athletes at various functions.  

Oxford Housing Authority Partnership
Before each home football game, Duke student-athletes host middle school kids from the Oxford  Housing Authority. The kids get  a tour of campus, a chance to go down to the field and some free food.

Jr. Blue Devil Day
Held once a year during Reunion weekend, all Jr. Blue Devil members are invited to Duke for a spring clinic-picnic. Also, members of the Read with the Blue Devil Program who reach the 8th level are invited as well as the Coach K Drive 2 Fitness members who reach the highest level. A number of our sports teams put on a clinic and speak to the children about the importance of school. At the end of the clinic, the children are fed lunch and invited to the Spring Football game and other Duke Athletic events that are being held. Over 400 children and parents attend this event.    

Duke Children’s Hospital/Ronald McDonald House/Camp Kaleidoscope
Previous commitments and relationships with these organizations continued to grow in an array of service activities from Duke Athletes and Coaches. Men’s and women’s lacrosse as well as women’s basketball made numerous visits to the RMH cooking meals for and interacting with families as a team. In February the men’s lacrosse team contributed a combined total of about 300 hours alone in helping with Duke Children’s Radio Thon. Men’s basketball student-athletes and staff visited Duke Children’s Hospital in January, as well as continued their tradition of supporting and participating in Duke Children’s Classic in May. Special requested and unique visits to patients passionate about track and soccer were fulfilled both in October and recently in August by student athletes from the Men’s Track/XC and Soccer Teams. This summer, athletes and coaches from men’s soccer as well as women’s swimming each spent a day at Camp Kaleidoscope—a partner affiliate of DCH for kids with illnesses.  In addition, student athletes from women’s basketball and football put in time to helping with Duke Children’s Classic in various roles.

Swim with the Blue Devils
The Duke Swim team provided 8 free swim clinics to local children. With approximately 25 children each session and with the help of undergrads and graduate students this program has been wildly successful. 

Habitat for Humanity
Duke student-athletes and staff contributed over 4 weeks in December to complete 15 homes at Hope Crossing. Build Blue-N-True, was an initiative started by runner Anna Farias-Eisner to build a fitness trail surrounding Hope Crossing. It was a collaborative effort between Duke and UNC student-athletes and staff.

Duke-UNC Habitat for Humanity 5K
A 5K run will be put on by Duke and UNC student-athletes to benefit Habitat for Humanity. The race will start at 9:00 a.m. on March 29, 2009.

For more information and to register for the 5K, follow this link.

Please email habitat-5-K@googlegroups.com with any questions.