The Wyakin Warrior Foundation and the Wyakin Academy for Wounded Warriors will be recognized by the Boise Hawks again this season.
Last spring, Wyakin Warrior Kyley Trausch threw out the ceremonial “first pitch” of the game. The Warriors, staff and volunteers were seated in the “Hawks Nest” group area located on the third-base side of the stadium. Trausch is a social work major at Boise State University. He is an Air Force veteran from Ohio.
Boise State University has partnered with the Wyakin Warrior Foundation to provide severely wounded veterans a full, four-year scholarship and an opportunity to transition from the military to an academic environment where they can thrive.
The Wyakin Warrior Foundation provides a comprehensive education, mentoring, professional development, networking and job placement program for severely wounded and injured veterans. Program participants attend Boise State University or the College of Western Idaho.
In December, the Hawks teamed up with The Salvation Army and hosted an Angel Tree for The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program.
Hundreds of people picked an angel off of their tree, shopped, and returned the unwrapped toys.
Once the toys were all received The Salvation Army hosted a "Toy Shop" where parents who have qualified for assistance came and personally chose gifts for their children.
Other Hawks events include a Fan Fest: in collaboration with DrugFree Idaho, the team hosts an evening of fun and substance abuse prevention, education and safety awareness.
According to their website:
The Boise Hawks are committed to being a proactive force in the community, and making a positive impact in the Treasure Valley. When possible our players, mascot and staff visit schools, hospitals, assisted living centers, and libraries to read to or simply visit with children and adults. We participate in countless "FUN"raisers and auctions in the community - donating thousands of dollars worth of prizes every year. The Boise Hawks take part in numerous community programs devoting time, money and effort to make a difference within the community with programs such as the Summer Reading Program, Youth Sports in the Treasure Valley, HawksNation Charity and Main Street Mile. The Hawks receive many requests each year for tickets and memorabilia and try their best to support the local community by fulfilling as many requests as possible, donating to hundreds of local organizations yearly. The Boise Hawks ultimate goal is to continue to build relationships in the community and to continually strive to make a positive difference.