Liberty Athletics partners with Hope Out Loud to serve disabled community through ‘A Day at the North Pole’

Liberty University NCAA student-athletes served alongside local nonprofit Hope Out Loud to host the second annual “A Day at the North Pole” on Saturday at Cedar Oaks Farm for families affected by disability.

This event, which ran throughout the morning and into the afternoon, included food, face painting, family portraits, nativity scenes, live farm animals, hot chocolate, crafts, a Christmas tree for prayer requests, appearances by Santa and Mrs. Claus, and more. It also included Christmas-themed games run by student-athletes, such as a reindeer toss, inflatable bowling, basketball, and a football toss.

“As soon as the opportunity was given to us by student-athlete development to come out here and volunteer, I immediately jumped on it,” said junior Ike Joy, who competes on the Liberty Men’s Golf team. “It seemed like a great event and a really good opportunity to get out and serve. It’s been a blast, and I’ve had a really good time today.”

Junior Samantha Troup, who competes for the Lady Flames cross country and track & field teams, said she loved the chance to serve families alongside her teammates. She is currently studying psychology and hopes to use her education to one day minister to children through play therapy.

Troup said she appreciated the way Liberty Athletics stresses service in addition to athletic accolades.

“It’s a gift to not just have an emphasis on our athletic performance but also on us as people and how we can use our platform to influence other people. I enjoy being able to not only go out for a run but also love on people and be able to show the love of Christ through what I am doing and the platform I have.”

Around 40 student-athletes served at the event, with representatives from the men’s and women’s soccer, men’s golf, track & field, baseball, volleyball, women’s swim and dive, field hockey, and softball teams.

“The athletes have been amazing,” said Josh Barrick, discipleship and media director for Hope Out Loud. “They have served with so much love and passion. It’s been so cool to see them share the love of Jesus.”

Barrick (’18, ‘20), a former member of Liberty Baseball, serves at Hope Out Loud alongside his family. He said the ministry was born out of a tragedy 17 years ago when his family was involved in a serious car accident. Barrick’s sister Jen suffered a traumatic brain injury, one from which she continues to recover.

Following the accident, the Barrick family started Hope Out Loud to minister to families who have been “blessed by disability.”

“With this ministry, we believe that we’re alive to point people to the Gospel of Jesus,” Barrick said. “We do that through coming alongside people who are going through hard times to help them navigate their vocalness and (know) what to do when life runs you over. For us, that’s a relationship with Christ and the truth of His Word,and (knowing) how to infuse that into our lives to heal and leverage our lives for Jesus.”

Through “A Day at the North Pole,” families who have someone with a disability can enjoy a time of Christmas fellowship free of stress.

John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Professor Dr. Chris Hulshof said he appreciated how Hope Out Loud focuses on families instead of only caring for the individual with the disability. Hulshof recently created a disability ministry minor at the university.

“It says a lot with Liberty’s involvement with Hope out Loud,” he said. “I have worked with them for content for the disability ministry minor and the cognate in disability. It’s great to have a partnership with a local ministry like this that is invested in people with disabilities.”

New London Academy Principal Joel Abe described this event as a “gift” for his family.

“This is our second year attending this event,” he said. “It has just been a complete blessing for my family to have an opportunity to come to something so well run and so well supported by Liberty that focuses on meeting the needs of some of our families when this season is sometimes difficult for them. It really caters to families that have been blessed with children who have disabilities.”

Saturday’s event was just one of several different service projects that Liberty student-athletes have completed this semester.

Earlier this semester, Liberty Athletics raised $8,741 for the 2023 Dollar Makes a Difference, enabling the university to “adopt” over 30 local teachers to provide them with school supplies and classroom necessities.

Through the “Trick or Treat so Others Can Eat” initiative, student-athletes partnered with local food pantries and collected 6,592 canned goods and non-perishable items. In November, Liberty student-athletes donated and packed 70 Operation Christmas Child boxes through a Conference USA-led initiative.

Student-athletes serve in local schools through the “Learn Like Liberty” program, in which they make weekly visits to local elementary schools to read to second-grade students. They have also attended various athletics events such as the Virginia 10 Miler, Fun Run at Amazement Square, and the North American Special Olympics Softball Championship to cheer on and support contestants.

“The importance (of giving back to the community) cannot be overstated,” Joy said. “It’s so important to give back with the opportunities that we have at Liberty. There are so many people that need it and deserve it. We have a direct responsibility to do and we have a platform as athletes to do that. It’s a blessing.”