2007-2008 Annual Report of Service - Shippensburg University

26 Shippensburg University
Cook-off, Adopt-A-Highway, delivery of the
Slate and Take Back the Night.
Additionally, volunteers from Lambda
Chi Alpha continued their special relationship
with residents of the Episcopal Square
Apartments. During monthly visits, these
students developed a positive relationship
through service, one-on-one visitation with
the residents, and volunteering at special
events that are held at the facility. Sisters of
Alpha Phi raised money for Juvenile Diabetes
and the American Cancer Society through
two separate fundraisers. Other organizations
campaigned for healthy water resources via the
“Everything Leads to Our Oceans” program
and by cleaning the area around Burd Run
creek.
Finally, the Office of Fraternity and
Sorority Life, spearheaded the first Up ‘til
Dawn fundraising effort ever hosted at
Shippensburg University. Up ‘til Dawn is a collegiate
based fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, the world’s premiere research
hospital for catastrophic diseases affecting
children. Participants are encouraged to
form teams of six people and write letters to
family and friends to inform them about the
hospital and the work done there while encouraging
them to donate money. Among the
diseases treated and researched at the hospital
are childhood cancers, sickle cell disease and
pediatric AIDS.
Although h the hospital is based in
Memphis, Tennessee the research conducted
and the knowledge gained there is shared with
hospitals and communities around the world.
Currently the hospital costs over one million
dollars per day to keep running. The bulk of
this money is from corporate partnerships, individual
donations and fundraising events like
Up ‘til Dawn.
Since its inception at the University of
Memphis is 1999, students participating in Up
‘til Dawn at over 100 colleges and universities
across the country have raised over five million
dollars. In 2008 Shippensburg University
joined these schools with the first annual Up
‘til Dawn. Held October 13, 2007 in Heiges
Field House, thirty teams participated in the
event that began at 10:00 p.m. and lasted until
the wee hours of the morning.
By the end of the night, 250 students had
sent out 6,600 letters. This hard work was realized
at the Fundraising Announcement in
February 2008. Up ‘til Dawn officers were excited
and proud to announce a fundraising total
of $19,024.67. Planning for the 2008-2009
event is already underway.
Residence Hall Association
Throughout the year, RHA members
continued the tradition of providing rides
around the university campus to students during
evening hours. The RHA Van keeps SU
students safe by picking them up and driving
them to their residence halls or other locations
on campus after dark. Members also spent
time visiting with elderly residents both during
the fall and spring semesters.
A Giving Tree was hosted by RHA
prior to Thanksgiving. Individuals could pick
a request off of the tree and purchase the requested
item. Once the item was purchased
and returned to RHA, it was donated to a
needy family in the local area. Repeated food
and clothing drives were also held throughout
the year to benefit the local community.
A Dollar Hollar was hosted to raise funds for
members of the military and their families. In
the spring, RHA members worked a booth at
the Children’s Fair, hosted an Easter egg hunt
and participated in a walk benefiting Multiple
Sclerosis. Finally, RHA continued their participation
in Relay for Life.
Residence Life Staff
The Residence Life Staff provided campus
residents a variety of ways to complete service.
RA’s were encouraged at the beginning of
the semester to provide their specific residents
opportunities assist in the local community.
Throughout the year, individual efforts were
coordinated in which residents took part in
projects such as Adopt-A-Highway, working
at King’s Kettle food pantry and volunteering
at Silence of Mary Home.
Additionally, Wing Dings was sponsored
by the Resident Directors, which took place in
October. For one week, residence hall students
compete among floors to raise money and other
personal items. All monetary donations and
items were donated to SECA and the United
Way. In total, $899.84 was raised in this event.
In the spring semester, the Residence Life
Staff also participated in the planning of Relay
for Life.
Holiday Giving
Shippensburg University students celebrated
several different holidays with members
of the surrounding community.
During the month of October, to celebrate
Halloween, the Residence Hall Association
and Residence Life Staff hosted several hundred
children throughout the residence halls
during “Treats not Tricks”.
Food and clothing drives were coordinated
throughout the residence halls to benefit
a variety of community based organization
including King’s Kettle. Consistently
throughout the year and particularly during
the holidays, Greek organizations as well as
members of RHA and the Residence Life
Staff worked together to provide items for the
less fortunate.
In November and December, the
Women’s Panhellenic Council and Inter-
Fraternity Council sponsored two projects
which improved the holidays for two separate
organizations. The Panhellenic Council sponsored
children from Safe Harbor Shelter and
provided each child residing there with gifts
and other necessities. The Inter-Fraternity
Council raised over $400 for Toys for Tots and
provided 250 toys from these funds.
Circle K
The Ship Circle K Club participated
in numerous events throughout the year to
better the campus, local and statewide communities.
Some of the projects completed include
volunteering at King’s Kettle as well as
Outlook Point Assisted Living Community,
Adopt-A-Highway, Ship Shape Day, Habitat
for Humanity, Head Start, Toys for Tots,
Alleghany Spring Serve, and Gazebo Clean
Up. The group hosted several events benefiting
Multiple Sclerosis including a walk, bike
ride, volleyball tournament, dance and bowla-thon.
Finally the members of Circle K
participated in monthly blood drives for the
American Red Cross in addition to partnering
with universities such as Mansfield, Penn
State, Elizabethtown, and Lycoming for service
projects done throughout the state.
S.E.A.C.
Students involved in the Student Environmental
Action Coalition (S.E.A.C.) spent
considerable time improving and defending
the environment. Volunteers participated in
several advocacy events concerning environmental
improvements. These events included
weekly meetings, attending the Green Festival,
participating in the fall break service
learning trip to Wallops Island and attended