Welcome!

My name is Cesar Magdaleno and I am the Philanthropy Director for 2012. While the Knights may be known on campus and throughout the USC community for body painting at football games or camping out in front of Tommy Trojan prior to the USC-UCLA game, most do not know how much philanthropy and volunteer work we do. Philanthropy – one of the three founding pillars of our organization – is a   part of every Knight, and much of the school year is devoted to helping the community.

Our volunteer work ranges from on-campus activities, such as helping out with Parents’ Weekend and Welcome Week, to community events like the Swim with Mike swim-a-thon or Relay for Life, to off-campus ones including Pumpkin Carving at the 32nd Street Elementary School every Halloween. Knights’ dedication to philanthropy continues to our own signature events, consisting of Knight Bowl in the former years and currently Tirebiter Run. As Knights, we hold philanthropy very close to our hearts, because it is the best opportunity to give back to the community and university that has done so much for us and will continue to even after graduating from SC.

Cesar Magdaleno,

Philanthropy Director of the Trojan Knights

Knights pose with Mike Nyeholt after working a 12 hour straight shift for the annual Swim With Mike philanthropy.

Swim with Mike is an annual fundraiser established in 1981 for disabled atheletes that raises over a million dollars per year.

Knights start working at 5:30 AM moving boxes and setting up before the participants and donors arrive. Featuring performances by the USC Marching Band and the USC Song Girls, the event is recognized as one of USC’s most distinctive philanthropies.

With the help of our advisor Ron Orr (a founder of SWM), Knights have been involved since the inception of the event. Swim with Mike continues to grow to this day and helps disabled atheletes everywhere.

A Trojan Knight with a megaphone starts off runners along a run-eat-run race around the USC campus.

Last year, the Knights conceptualized and executed a University-approved philanthropy event called Tirebiter Run, in honor of the Universitiy’s ex-mascot, George Tirebiter.

Participants pay an entry fee and then run around campus where they are greeted by Chick-Fil-A employees. After eating their sandwiches, they finish the run and then celebrate. Proceeds go to Pete Carrol’s charity, A Better LA.

Knights helping local children carve pumpkins.

Pumpkin carving is a Knights tradition in the fall where the Knights buy and deliver around 400 pumpkins to a local elementary school. After setting up each classroom and student with a pumpkin, the Knights assist in carving and cleanup.

Considered by many Knights as one of the most rewarding philanthropies, pumpkin carving represents a desire to reach out to the community surrounding USC. Many student organizations focus on USC philanthropies, but the Trojan Knights see the need for involvement outside the university as well.

A Trojan Knight helps a “buddy” throughout the day, playing fairground style games.

Spirits in Action is a Spring philanthropy focused on local disabled local school children that the Knights are traditionally involved in. It is one of the many events we participate in alongside our sister organization, the USC Helenes. The USC Band and Song Girls come and put on a small show, as well as a few student performance organizations.

Participants are either responsible for running a collection of games geared towards the disabled students or being paired up with a buddy and assisting them in day’s activities.