Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

WEST POINT — Point University students and staff got the 2022 Easter season off to a good start on Saturday with an Easter basket giveaway in the parking lot next to the J. Smith Lanier II Academic Center. Two long tables were set up, one for boys’ baskets and one for the girls. As an arriving car stopped, a large Easter bunny would give children in the back seat an Easter basket. There were some yelps of delight when the children saw the big rabbit approaching their car with a large basket in hand.

Each basket was filled with all kinds of goodies. The first 50 cars coming to the 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. giveaway received a case of food including 18 large eggs and an eye dyeing kit. There was also a big turkey to have on hand for Easter dinner.

Point University’s Student Life organized the event, and students from all across the campus took part as a way to spread the joy of the Easter season.

“This is a way of showing our gratitude for the support the local community has given us,” said Tessa Daniel, Point’s women’s residence director.

“Student Life directed it, but the entire student body got behind it,” said Illya Lawrence, Point’s associate dean of students. “The students did a great job of getting all these baskets together. They were all packed by Wednesday.”

The faculty, staff and members of the men’s basketball team set up the parking lot for a steady flow of cars coming through to pick up the baskets.

Wednesday of this week is National Student Athlete Day and will be celebrated at the university. An estimated 80 percent of the students at Point are athletes.

Point University is home to 19 NAIA athletic teams and the award-winning Skyhawk Marching Band. Skyhawk spirit is an integral part of the Point community, and lots of blue and gold-clad classmates are always there in large numbers when a Skyhawk team is competing in an athletic event. Students from one sport enjoy cheering on their classmates who play a different sport. Point offers baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, cheerleading, men’s and women’s cross country and distance track, football, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis and volleyball.