RICHARDSON, TX  — The University of Texas at Dallas Athletics, in collaboration with Richardson’s Hilton Garden Inn, recently participated in a back-to-school drive benefiting the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County.

Among the items donated by the department were backpacks, pencils, spiral notebooks, glue and crayons.

“We are proud to help the Children’s Advocacy Center,” UTD Athletics Director Chris Gage said. “Our mission as a department includes being a strong partner in the community. Providing school supplies for the next generation of Comets is a noble cause and we urge the community to find a local organization to help support them during these tough economic times.”

The Hilton Garden Inn, one of UTD’s sponsors, hosted the drive last week, gathering school supplies for the CAC.

“I see first-hand the benefits of a project like this,” said Amie Thompson, Director of Sales at the Hilton Garden Inn and active volunteer at the CAC. “This helps a worthwhile organization, and the help UT Dallas Athletics provides is greatly appreciated.”

Founded in 1992, the CAC serves more than 33,000 children in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. This mission of the center, which is headquartered in Plano, is to provide safety, healing and justice to children victimized by abuse and neglect. To discover ways in which you can donate to the CAC, visit its website at http://www.cacplano.org/.

-Courtesy University of Texas at Dallas Sports Information Department