Mary Baldwin's favorite Fighting Squirrel - Baldwin - along with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) led over 150 MBU varsity sports athletes through the streets of downtown Staunton, Va., Monday during the city's annual Holiday Parade.

The SAAC leadership team of  Caleb Smith (soccer, track & field), Tucker Speak (soccer), Jenna Shull (softball), Hailey Bruce (Volleyball), Grayson Moore (Baseball), and Reese Brock (Basketball), organized the decoration of the float and organize the student-athletes walking and distributing candy to the Staunton youth along the parade route. 

Baldwin was the fan favorite as chants of "M-B-U" rang out from the spectators.  For the MBU student-athletes, it was an excellent opportunity to be involved again in the community, while serving as a study break during the final week of classes in the Fall 2024 semester. 

Women's Soccer head coach Sunny Gelnovatch and Associate Director of Athletics/Softball head coach Christy Shelton served as the advisors of the 2025-26 SAAC, which recently donated 2025 food items to the Blue Ridge Food Bank.