(FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.) – In an effort to help worthy organizations during the spring semester, the USA South Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) developed, "Pennies for a Purpose", in 2008. This year's community service initiative, in its fifth year, began on March 1. The schools had until March 31 to collect loose change which would later be donated to an organization of their choosing.

This year, each USA South institution chose to partner with the NCAA Division III National SAAC and donate the collections to their local Special Olympic organization. The partnership is designed to improve the lives of Special Olympics athletes through their involvement with Division III student-athletes and to foster a mutual learning experience between Division III student-athletes and Special Olympics athletes. Additionally, the partnership aligns with the Division III attribute of citizenship in the division’s strategic-positioning platform.

Overall, the USA South institutions collected $1,638.91! Over the five-year history of the program, the USA South institutions have donated $19,005.99 to local organizations. With a grand total of $412.00, Meredith College is the Pennies for a Purpose champion for 2012. The Avenging Angels will be presented the Pennies for a Purpose plaque at a later date. Greensboro College raised $328.00 to finish second while Christopher Newport University's $292.92 total rounded out the top-three.

This is the second community service program developed by the USA South Conference SAAC as the "Cans Across the Conference" food drive, which takes place during the Thanksgiving holiday, was created in 2004. Through that campaign, USA South Institutions have donated a total of 229,952 items to their local communities.

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