The SF State Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) wants to let the world know they are about more than just fastball tips and winning shots according to SAAC co-president, Sonja Garnett.

While SAAC is made up of two members from each sport's team, most of their fundraisers benefit the community rather than just themselves.

"We're an organization made up of athletes promoting a better cause other than pure competition," said Garnett, a 20-year-old liberal studies junior who has been playing softball since she was 5.

Every year SAAC reaches out to the community through various fundraisers like the Sept. 24 soccer game where donations and proceeds from food sales went to The Make-A-Wish Foundation. On Oct. 1, they will be in Malcom X Plaza encouraging students to vote and starting a month-long clothing drive for the homeless. They plan to donate complimentary toiletries they receive while traveling to the homeless as well.

A goal of SAAC is to unite all the sports teams for social purposes and to promote the department in a positive way. Although SAAC can get money from the Associate Students Inc., budget cuts left SAAC raising most of the money themselves.

Midnight Madness is an annual SAAC event that has successfully brought SF State students together. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, when basketball season is over, students aren’t allowed to practice together as a team until Oct. 15, the following season. Traditionally around 11 p.m. on Oct. 14, games and performances are held in the gym. Last year, students were entertained by dance groups battling each other. When midnight hits, the balls are let out and both men's and women's basketball teams scrimmage each other.

In addition to bringing the teams together, SAAC also wants to reach out to kids in the community.

"A lot of kids look up to [professional] athletes as their role models," said SAAC Secretary Crystal Hutchinson who plays on the SF State women’s basketball team. "We try to act as a stepping stone for them."

The 22-year-old criminal justice and Spanish senior hopes to have SAAC members regularly work with kids at the YMCA, and have the kids present at SF State games.

Unfortunately, as many things as SAAC does or wants to do, it often goes unrecognized according to Garnett and Hutchinson. Both believe this is largely due to a lack of publicity. Many people don't even know that SAAC exists, even though the organization has been on campus at least eight years now according to Garnett.

Aside from fliers posted around the gym and on the SAAC bulletin board, there really is no other way for other students to know about SAAC events. To change this, SAAC has formed a promotions committee made up of four athletes. Their prime responsibility is to raise committee awareness around campus. Additionally, SAAC members are trying to establish their own website.

However, Garnett and Hutchinson believe that SAAC's main problem is time management. It is especially hard for Garnett to get students involved because SF State is a commuter school and between school, work, sports, and traveling, no one has time for anything else. For Hutchinson, basketball is so demanding that it is almost like a job by itself.

Joachim Perlas, a recreation major agrees that time is hard to balance while in college. Although the 22-year-old senior isn't on any SF State sports teams, he has been playing intramural basketball on campus since he was a freshman and has seen SAAC fliers posted around the gym.

"My major's emphasis is on community and nonprofit organizing, so I'm definitely interested in SAAC," said Perlas. "But honestly, I just don't have time for it."

Although Perlas doesn’t qualify to be a member of SAAC, he believes that attending one of their events would be fun as well as beneficial for his future.

"If only people had the time," said Perlas. "They'd see them breaking a lot of stereotypes."