Abraham Lincoln once said, “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” The PRIDE program’s third annual PRIDE (Promote, Recruit, Involve, Donate and Employ) Day is a great way for those of us in the Elizabethtown College community to demonstrate a commitment to bettering our campus.
According to sophomore Adam Moore, service chair for Student Senate and assistant sports editor for the Etownian, “PRIDE Volunteer Day is a day of community service on campus that involves current students and faculty, as well as alumni. The day is served to help clean up the campus and make it even more beautiful than it already is.” It is an opportunity for current students, alumni, faculty and parents to show their Etown pride by completing service projects such as mulching, weeding and planting flowers and trees.
The Etown PRIDE Program Volunteer Day will kick off at 8:30 a.m., with refreshments in the Susquehanna Room of Myer Residence Hall. The rest of the morning, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., will be spent completing seasonal spring projects throughout campus, followed by a lunch and acknowledgement ceremony until 1 p.m.
PRIDE Day is a rain or shine event. In the case of inclement weather, the event will be moved indoors to the Susquehanna Room and will include activities that benefit Caitlin’s Smiles, a program that benefits children with life-threatening illnesses.
In the past, mainly alumni attended the PRIDE Program Volunteer Day with only a few current students taking part. Student Senate, along with the Alumni Association, is hoping to get more current students involved in the event. “This year, we are not only inviting the campus community to get involved but are also doing it in a way that is more engaging to all participants. The goal is for everyone to leave feeling fulfilled and excited to learn about the numerous other ways that their time and energy can benefit the College,” Jacob Keeler ’09, associate director of alumni relations, said.
“Alumni will get to reconnect with the campus and the current student body. Current students will have the opportunity to bond with each other and network with alumni. The culmination of everyone’s efforts will help to beautify the campus, and, most of all, we raise awareness of the PRIDE Program to the campus community and alumni,” said Keeler in reference to all the positive outcomes of PRIDE Day. He believes that it is also a team-building experience for sports teams, clubs and organizations on campus.
The volunteer day is just one aspect of the PRIDE program. The program works to provide unique and engaging volunteer opportunities for individuals associated with the College through participating branches. The branches involved with the program include the Alumni Association, Admissions, Parents Association, Career Services and the Development Office.
Just a few of the volunteer opportunities made available through the PRIDE program include: providing a job shadow experience, participating in phone-a-thons, representing Etown at college fairs, class reunions and event planning, and volunteering as a panelist or speaker. Other volunteer opportunities are listed on the PRIDE Program’s Web page.
Students and faculty interested in volunteering during PRIDE Day can register online at www.etown.edu/prideday. Clubs and teams will be notified of the event and can choose to register as a group.
PRIDE day and the PRIDE Program are great opportunities for students, alumni, parents and faculty to show how proud they are to be Blue Jays. By getting involved and volunteering through the PRIDE Program you can help make our campus and the college community a better and more beautiful place than it already is. Participation in the program is just one way that students can take pride in Etown, and also be the type of Blue Jays that Etown is proud to call its own.
