The Daily Bulletin

A year ago, the Buffalo State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) partnered with athletes from across the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) in conjunction with the One Love Foundation to increase awareness of domestic and relationship violence issues through the "10 Million Yards for Yeardley" event. This year, Buffalo State and the SUNYAC are expanding their efforts to help put an end to relationship abuse.

Every student-athlete at Buffalo State is participating in the Escalation Workshop created by the One Love Foundation during the spring semester. Student-athletes view a 40-minute film that follows a college-age couple through the very sweet beginnings of their relationship and shows how unhealthy behaviors can escalate into abuse. After watching the film, workshop participants dive into a discussion—led by trained facilitators who are members of the Bengals’ coaching staff—about the early warning signs of relationship abuse and what they can do if they witness or experience these warning signs.

All Buffalo State student-athletes will have participated in the training before this year’s SUNY-wide "Around the World for Yeardley" event, which the Bengals will complete on April 18. After more than doubling the conference goal last year with nearly 26 million total yards—including a one-day total that exceeded 2 million yards run, walked, or swum by Buffalo State—participants have set this year’s goal as "around the world," aiming to amass 50 million total yards among 21 SUNY institutions. Buffalo State’s goal is to surpass 2.4 million yards. All members of the campus community are invited to join their fellow Bengals in the Sports Arena on Wednesday, April 18, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to walk or run and contribute to the Buffalo State total. Campus community members can also "donate" their steps by checking in at various tables that will be set up around campus.

The One Love Foundation was created in remembrance of former University of Virginia women's lacrosse player Yeardley Love, who was brutally beaten to death by her former boyfriend, a member of the men's lacrosse team, on May 3, 2010. Yeardley's mother, Sharon Love, developed the One Love Foundation in response to her tragic loss to raise awareness about the consequences of relationship violence. For more information, please visit the One Love Foundation website.