BATON ROUGE — LSU student-athlete Shannon Stein was named to the sixth-annual Southeastern Conference Softball Good Works Team, it was announced by the league office on Thursday.
The senior from Upland, Calif., has participated in many community service projects throughout the season and her career. This spring, she joined with fellow student athlete Garrett Runion to participate in a pancake flipping contest as part of the United Way “Day of Caring” kickoff event. Stein and Runion formed the winning team, besting a team that included Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden.
Several times this semester, Stein has volunteered at the St. Vincent DePaul shelter, where she has made meals for the homeless and joined with other student athletes to complete various improvement jobs like lawn work, painting and re-striping the parking lot. While participating in the Big Buddy “Day of the Mentor” event, she welcomed an elementary school student to campus to accompany her around for the day.
As part of the “Read Across America” program, Stein wore a striped red and white “Cat in the Hat” hat and read to children at Bernard Terrace Elementary. During the Easter holidays, she delivered baskets to underprivileged elementary school students as part of the “Build a Basket” program. She also rode in the St. Clare Nursing Home Mardi Gras parade.
During the fall semester, she participated in the SEC’s “Together We Can” food drive that helped stock the local food bank. As part of the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s “Strides and Rides” event, she painted her face and helped the participants and children with face painting. Earlier this week, she participated in the inaugural Tigerpalooza event that benefited former LSU student-athlete Robin DesOrmeaux in her battle with cancer.
Stein has also been a driving force behind LSU’s annual community service events, including the Halloween BOOzar, the Christmas Toy Drive and visits to Our Lady of the Lake’s children’s ward. During the BOOzar, she handed out candy, signed autographs and played with the local children who came to the event. She spearheaded the softball team’s efforts for the Toy Drive, where she and her teammates raised money for toys and clothes for an underprivileged girl for Christmas, and has also visited the children’s ward at Our Lady of the Lake several times.
The SEC sponsors Good Works Teams for all 20 league sponsored sports. The Good Works Team looks to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to her community with superior service efforts.