CODY MEYERS OF AUSTIN COLLEGE, a sophomore from Austin, Texas, has been selected the SCAC Character & Community Male Student-Athlete-of-the-Week for the week ending March 22, 2015.
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Meyers, a sophomore forward on the Austin College men’s basketball team from Midlothian, Texas, has been an active member in the community since arriving at Austin College, and this past summer he founded the Extra Step Foundation, for which he also serves as president. The Extra Step Foundation works to find families going through difficult times as a result of medical hardships and assess where they need the most help, including aiding with the payment of medical expenses.
Alongside teammates Jeremy Swisher and Josh Dickerman, Meyers took it upon himself to form The Extra Step Foundation after traveling to Costa Rica as part of a team trip, in which he worked closely with young children who did not have any father figures in their lives. The 'Roos competed against several teams from the area but were also able to take in some of the local culture, as well as working with a nonprofit organization that funds a day care for underprivileged children. Meyers serves as the president of The Extra Step Foundation, which works to assist children with life-threatening diseases, as well as their families, including families dealing with cancer. Meyers, Dickerman, and Swisher want to assist families through the arduous process of facing difficult realities as they battle disease.
The purpose of The Extra Step as described by Meyers is to find families going through difficult times as a result of these medical hardships and assess where they need the most help. This includes aiding in the payment of medical expenses, because as Meyers says, "that is one of the biggest burdens hanging over their head." The next step in the process is to look for ways to improve their lives at home, including food, appliances, utilities, and other expenses that the family may be struggling to pay for.
Through this charity organization, Meyers and his co-founders have begun a partnership with Children’s Health, formerly known as Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, in working with families in desperate need of assistance through their most trying times in dealing with medical bills as well as every day expenses. Meyers has helped raise money for numerous families in need already, with the goal in place to continue the growth of the organization and to continue to help as many families as they can.
Meyers was a finalist for the NABC Allstate Good Works Team for his efforts in founding The Extra Step Foundation, and in addition to his work there also participated in Meals on Wheels during January, working to bring food to the elderly throughout the area while also providing as much friendship and companionship as he could as part of the organization.
To read about past SCAC Character & Community winners from the 2014-15 academic year, click here