SU Students Volunteer for the Holidays
SALISBURY, MD---Salisbury University students are preparing for the holidays with projects that benefit the whole community. The following is a sampling:
PET FOOD DRIVE: Blackwell Library and Leash on Life remind the community that people are not the only beings who are homeless and hungry during its annual collection for homeless animals in area shelters in Wicomico and Somerset counties. The drive runs through Friday, December 18. A list of needed items, such as dog and cat food, and collection boxes are located by the library’s circulation desk.
FESTIVAL OF TREES: The Guerrieri University Center hosts its sixth annual Festival of Trees to benefit the Joseph House and Lakeside Assisted Living. During the competition registered student organizations are invited to decorate 3-foot Christmas trees that will be given to residents served by the Joseph House homeless shelter and Lakeside Assisted Living complex. Student organizations may also include small gifts, toiletries and canned food to be donated with their trees.
TOYS FOR TOTS: SU’s Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art is collecting toys for Toys for Tots. Free admission is offered to everyone who helps Toys for Tots by bringing new, unwrapped toys to the museum November 23-December 16. Toys are especially needed for girls and boys ages 11-13 and 2 and under, including infants.
ADOPT A FAMILY: SU’s Girls on Top of the World community service club plans to “adopt a family” for Christmas. Using funds raised throughout the semester, the club will purchase food and clothing for one local less fortunate family.
LIFE CRISIS ‘BABY SHOWER’: Salisbury University’s Social Work Club raised some $1,400 in items and monetary donations during its second annual “Baby Shower” to support area children and the Life Crisis Center. Items collected included clothes, toys, baby wipes, formula, diapers and training pants.
OPERATION TEDDY BEAR: Members of SU's Student Nursing Association recently participated in Operation Teddy Bear, during which patients and residents of the Holly Center ride in decorated tractor-trailers, supplied by Perdue Transportation, Inc., on a holiday-themed 11-mile round-trip drive from the center.
RINGING THE BELLS: Students, faculty and staff from SU’s Franklin P. Perdue School of Business are ringing bells at local stores for The Salvation Army’s annual Kettle Campaign. Donations provide Christmas dinners, clothing, and toys for families in need. The Salisbury Pops at SU also raised some $540 for the Salvation Army during its annual holiday concert.
’80S THEME NIGHT: As part of a senior group project, students from Paula Morris’ promotions class hosted an ’80s-themed night at The Monkey Barrel to benefit the Life Crisis Center of Salisbury. The Life Crisis Center helps women from Salisbury who have been domestically and sexually abused. The event raised over $1,100 for the Life Crisis Center. A second fundraiser at The Monkey Barrel raised some $700 for local homeless shelters.
WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN: Students in Paula Morris' promotions class rased some $1,278 for the Women Supporting Women breast cancer support organization during a two-day event at The Greene Turtle. In all, students in Morris' classes raised over $11,000 for local charities in November.
HOME AND ABROAD: SU’s chapter of the Kappa Delta Pi international education honor society recently hosted Thanksgiving dinner at the Christian Homeless Shelter in Salisbury. Students collected food for the event through the Education Department. The organization also recently collected items to create care packages for U.S. troops stationed overseas for the holidays.
BOOK ‘EM: Students in Paula Morris’ promotions classes and Howard Dover’s sales and marketing class recently sent a handful of local community members to “jail”… for a good cause. The classes teamed up to host a “Jail and Bail” fundraiser for the Kids of Honor youth mentoring program. The “jailbirds” raised some $7,500 by calling friends and family to contribute to their “bail.”
DONATIONS FOR TROOPS: The Student Government Association Maroon Freshmen Committee recently raised funds and collected goods in the community to send to U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan as a part of the Welcome Home Troops Project. Students also handed out packages to returning troops as arrived in Salisbury in late November.
ATHLETIC ASSISTANCE: The Salisbury University Athletic Training Club recently conducted its annual canned food drive, donating over 1,000 cans and 11 turkeys to the Joseph House. SU’s 21 varsity teams competed against each other to see which one could collect the most canned goods.
SHOEBOX PRESENT DRIVE: SU student-athletes got in the holiday spirit as they participated in a shoebox present drive. The drive was run by the SU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), allowing students to collect food, games and educational materials for less fortunate children in the Salisbury area. Salisbury’s 21 varsity athletic teams and athletic training staff gathered items for the drive.
CLOTHING DRIVE: SU’s chapter of the Lambda Pi Eta communications honor society recently hosted a clothing drive for less fortunate residents of the Salisbury area.
SHOOT HOOPS FOR TROOPS: Salisbury University students in Dr. Paula Morris’ marketing class recently showed their support for the men and women serving the U.S. military by hosting a “Shoot Hoops for the Troops” basketball tournament. Proceeds supported the Wounded Warriors Program.
PONG TOURNAMENT: Salisbury University marketing students recently hosted a pong tournament to benefit Safe Ride, an SU organization dedicated to reducing driving under the influence by giving students a free and safe ride home on weekends.
For information on these and other holiday philanthropic programs at SU call 410-543-6030 or visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu.