The TCU Rangers worked to help the community and increase Horned Frog spirit, as kids from the Safe Haven-Martin Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth caught passes and tackled SuperFrog before meeting an offensive lineman over pizza.
The TCU Rangers put on the event to become more involved in the community. The TCU Rangers, which is a spirit organization on campus based on community service, took on philanthropy in the form of working with kids from the Boys & Girls Club in an effort to expand awareness of their organization and build Horned Frog fans for the future.
TCU Ranger Matt Looney said the Rangers were originally created two years ago as a liaison between fans of TCU, athletics and players. The organization focused on service in the community and increasing the university fanbase.
Junior nursing major and TCU Ranger Megan Higgins said it was her previous experience volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club that made her want to get the TCU Rangers involved with the organization. Members of the organization donate both their time and money to the Boys & Girls Club. Higgins, TCU Rangers’ vice president of philanthropy, said their organization wanted to adopt a philanthropy to make them stand out as a top organization on campus.
“We do support the football team, and that’s great, but what really makes a difference in the Fort Worth community is having a philanthropy,” she said. “I personally love to help out with children and I think all of the Rangers really benefit a lot, not just by donating the money, but donating the time and developing relationships with the kids. I think they enjoy it a lot.”
The kids from the Boys & Girls Club toured many of the university’s athletic facilities and got a chance to play football with SuperFrog in the football program’s Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility. After taking full advantage of playtime on the turf, the kids sat down for pizza in the Abe Martin Academic Enhancement Center before a guest appearance by one of the football team’s offensive tackles, junior Jeff Olsen.
One Boys & Girls Club member said she plans on attending TCU as a college student, while another said he hoped to play football for the Frogs someday.