COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs Athletic Department takes pride in giving their all on the playing field and in the classroom, but also strive to give back within their community. Though the season was cut short, UCCS ranks No. 8 in the nation with 4,990 volunteer hours recorded in a recent 2019-20 NCAA Division II report developed by Helper Helper. The Mountain Lions also have four men's teams that rank in the top-10 in Top DII Men's Sports, and five women's teams within the top-10 in Top DII Women's Sports for community service hours.

The Helper Helper volunteer management platform benefits organizations of all sizes by tracking and coordinating their service. Helper Helper simplifies the organizational efforts for volunteer coordinators and helps volunteers easily find and schedule events. Helper Helper and the NCAA teamed up to help encourage student-athletes from over 200 schools to make a lasting impact on their communities.

The 2019-20 report highlights top teams, top schools, and the winners of both challenges that Helper Helper hosted this year.

UCCS made their way into the number four spot in the nation by volunteering for 8 different community organizations, and maintaining a nearly perfect participation rate of 99% to help reach the 4,990 hours of community service. On the men's side, UCCS ranks among the top-10 in volunteer hours for four different sports:

• Baseball: 5^th (718 hours, 16 hours per student-athlete)
• Basketball: 7^th (153.5 hours, 12 hours per student-athlete)
• Golf: 7^th (95 hours, 10 hours per student-athlete)
• Soccer: 10^th (156 hours, 6 hours per student-athlete)

For the women, the Mountain Lions claim top-10 rankings in five different sports:

• Basketball: 4^th (231 hours, 17 hours per student-athlete)
• Volleyball: 6^th (348.5 hours, 21 hours per student-athlete
• Soccer: 10^th (375 hours, 13 hours per student-athlete)
• Softball: 7^th (448.5 hours, 20 hours per student-athlete)
• Lacrosse: 2^nd (654 hours, 26 hours per student-athlete)
   

The UCCS Mountain Lions worked to make a difference during the 2019-20 season by making more than 400 valentines for children at Denver's Children Hospital, raising more than $600 for Make-A-Wish, and gathering more than 400 cans of food for the UCCS Campus Holiday Project.