TACOMA, Wash. — The Pacific Lutheran University football team arrives back to Luteville about three weeks before the rest of campus. During this time, the team prioritizes their training and team bonding, while also finding ways to help the community.

This year, the Lute football team decided to help out at the 2024 Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive. This event is led by an organization based in Tacoma called "Communities in Schools." According to the organization, Stuff the Bus is an event created to ensure that students in the greater Pierce County area have the tools and support from [the] Site Coordinators they need to succeed all year long.

"We're helping give back to the community, we're helping families get school supplies, so it's a great cause," said senior wide receiver Steele Swinton.

"We get to give back to the less privileged and help them be happy, and it also makes us happy, so it's great."

During this event, the PLU football team helped set up booths for vendors, hand out backpacks and school supplies to children, pass out food to families, and many other tasks necessary for this event to run smoothly.

One player on the team, senior defensive back Kellen Meade, spoke passionately about the importance of this event and organization.

"I'm from Tacoma… and it just feels great to give back to the community. I see a little bit of myself in each one of these kids out here and it's awesome to be around it," said Meade.

Multiple other players added in why they wanted to help out with this cause and the impact it places on the families involved.

"I'm really just here for the kids and I'm happy to be helping them and giving them a future successful school year," added sophomore Calvin Cummings.

"I got to meet a lot of great people out here and help a lot of families that needed it, so it was really cool to come out here and help," mentioned sophomore Drew Thelen.

The Lutes (1-1) finish out their non-conference schedule on Saturday, traveling to Thousand Oaks for a 1 p.m. showdown with host California Lutheran University.