Softball's Bush Named to SEC Community Service Team
Wednesday, May 4, 2011 | Softball
Gator softball's Megan Bush was named to the Southeastern Conference's Softball Community Service Team Wednesday afternoon, capping off a day of honors after the UF first baseman accepted an invitation to USA Softball's National Team Selection Camp earlier in the day. The SEC sponsors Community Service Teams for all 20 league sponsored sports. The Community Service Team looks to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to her community in superior service efforts.
Bush was tabbed as a member of the 2011 service team after a stellar career of contributing to the University of Florida and Gainesville communities through both the Gator softball and University Athletic Association community service initiatives.
Chalking up over 90 hours of community service in her career as a Gator to date, the Anaheim Hills, Calif., native has participated in a number of different activities, ranging from tutoring local elementary school children to spreading holiday cheer by delivering free tennis shoes to needy children during the holidays and much more through UF's Goodwill Gators program. Along with her individual service hours, Bush and the Florida softball squad have taken on several community service initiatives as a team, including the Swinging for Cancer event that is three-years strong and involvement with the Friends of Jaclyn organization, where the softball squad adopted Heather Braswell, a brain tumor patient, and made her an honorary member of the team. Bush was an original candidate for the 2011 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, which places an emphasis on academics, community work, character and on-the-field achievements, and is also one of USA Softball's Top 25 finalists for Player of the Year.
Bush and the Florida softball team have continually excelled among Florida athletes in community service. They have taken two-consecutive Life Skills Cups, awarded annually to the UF athletics team with the most community service and participation in Life Skills programming, including Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Goodwill Gators service events.
Notably, Bush and the Gators most recently held their annual Swinging for the Cure event as part of Cancer Awareness Weekend for the softball team. Organized by the current Gator squad, UF alumni Francesca Enea and the Florida marketing department, several 'celebrity' guests graced the softball diamond after UF's game with Alabama April 23. The event was in support of the late Ian Lockwood, a local Florida child who passed away from a brain tumor in January. Throughout his treatment, Ian became a part of the Gator athletics program, spending significant time with the football and softball teams specifically. The Lockwood family was in attendance, threw out the first pitch at the game and was presented a commemorative jersey as fans were able to submit pledges to the Shands Brain Tumor Research Department for the cause. The event marked the third annual for the softball team where current and former Gator great athletes have continued to come together for cancer awareness and pledges for a cure. Celebrity guests this year included ESPN analyst Jessica Mendoza and UF football greats Shane Matthews, Ahmad Black and Chris Doering. Two time Player of the Year and Washington pitcher Danielle Lawrie tossed balls from the circle.
Florida became involved with the Friends of Jaclyn organization, which matches children with brain tumors to high school and college teams for support, over a year ago. Braswell was presented with a Florida jersey and became a Gator in the fall of 2009 when the softball team adopted her. After being diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, in the beginning of 2008 and enduring almost three rounds of chemotherapy, Heather was excited to learn a year and a half ago that she was part of the Gator family. Heather often graces the Florida dugout when she's up in Gainesville from Orlando, and has been at multiple Gator games this past season, including UF's most recent SEC home series, Alabama.
In addition to her Community Service Team honor, Bush was Florida's nominee for the SEC's Brad Davis Community Service Post-Grad Scholarship earlier this spring.
2011 SEC Softball Community Service Team
Courtney Conley, Sophomore, Alabama
Amanda Caldwell, Senior, Arkansas
Morgan Murphy, Junior, Auburn
Megan Bush, Senior, Florida
Alisa Goler, Senior, Georgia
Meagan Aull, Senior, Kentucky
Ashley Applegate, Senior, LSU
Amanda Hutcheson, Junior, Ole Miss
Courtney Nesbit, Senior, Mississippi State
Sam Arbaugh, Junior, South Carolina
Ivy Renfroe, Sophomore, Tennessee
