New for the 2011-2012 seasons, the America East Daily Word, a collaboration between AmericaEast.com and AExtra, will recap the previous day's games and on goings on our nine campuses and provide links to previews, recaps, features and exclusive coverage.

The devastation triggered by Tropical Storm Irene cannot be understated. Masses of people felt the wrath of Irene. Roads were torn up, water supplies were contaminated and even homes were washed away.

University of Vermont skier Colton Hardy’s family home in Jamaica, Vt., was completely destroyed by Irene. The home was ripped from its foundation and lost in the waters of the tropical storm.

His Vermont Athletics family sponsored an event to lend support to Hardy and his family. As the waitstaff at a Burlington restaurant for an evening, a strong contingent of Catamounts raised money last week for their fellow Cat in his family’s time of need.

"Obviously the entire state of Vermont was devastated, and as the Vermont athletics, we decided consciously that we need to do something," said UVM track athlete Chris Lemieux, who organized the event.  "Vermont athletics is more than our performance on the field or on the ice or on the turf. We thought that doing an event for him would be a good way to show our love and support not only for our community, but for our own individual athlete in our family."

WCAX Channel 3’s newest sports reporter, Ashley Chase, covered the story, here.

A percentage of the proceeds from the event and all tips earned by the UVM student-athletes went directly to Hardy’s family.

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