UNIVERSITY CENTER - The Saginaw Valley State University football program will host its inaugural "Victory Day" on Sunday (Apr. 24) in the SVSU Fieldhouse from 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. in another community engagement event on the campus of SVSU to benefit the youth in the Great Lakes Bay Region.

Victory Day is an afternoon of education, inspiration and fun on the gridiron for children with special needs in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Participants will be treated to a "game day experience," with the opportunity to play football and run drills with the Saginaw Valley State University Cardinal football team. Family and friends, teachers and caregivers watch from the stands as the children play out their dreams.

"We are excited and have been looking forward to hosting our first "Victory Day" ever since Aaron Segedi came to us last year and talked about the impact that this special day has on the young people involved," said SVSU head coach Jim Collins. "We have a great event planned that will be fun and rewarding for everyone involved. Giving back to the community is very important to us and we have a special place in our hearts for the children who live in the Great Lakes Bay Region. We appreciate the efforts of everyone who jumped on board to help organize this great event!"  

Victory Day was founded in 2010 by Aaron Segedi, an SVSU graduate and native of Riverview, Michigan. Aaron currently teaches seventh grade and serves as the Trenton High School's varsity football defensive coordinator. The two-time cancer survivor believes that building character is just as important as learning game-winning plays.

Saginaw Valley State University has adopted Victory Day with the same goals in mind: building character, nurturing leadership and instilling courage. SVSU has earned the Carnegie Foundation's Community Engagement Classification for its collaboration with the larger community (local, regional / state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources. The SVSU football team, like the University as a whole, is committed to community engagement and community service. The SVSU Athletic Department recently was awarded a grant from the Michigan Baseball Foundation to fund equipment purchases for the department's Community Youth Days, which are free clinics put on throughout the year for kids in the Great Lakes Bay Region. SVSU has been honored by both the NCAA and the GLIAC a total of six times since 2010 for the department's community engagement efforts.

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