Buckeyes To Participate In Make A Difference Day – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/12/2000 12:00:00 AM | General
Sept. 12, 2000
COLUMBUS, Ohio — While the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Miami RedHawks are settling matters in Ohio Stadium Saturday afternoon, their peers will be participating in a more collaborative activity — Make A Difference Day.
Make A Difference Day, now in its 10th year, is a national initiative to promote goodwill through community service. Ohio State graduate and undergraduate student volunteers are enjoying their third year of participation and were among the more than two million people last year who committed their efforts to improving local communities. Mrs. Hope Taft, First Lady of Ohio, serves as the 2000 state chair.
“Student Activities and Campus Programs is very pleased to provide substance free programming to students that introduces them to community service and getting involved on campus,” senior student co-chair Jacklyn Nowakowski said.
The national day of recognition is Oct. 28, however the Ohio State contingency is committing itself even further. This year, in conjunction with Ohio State Football, the Buckeyes will host student leaders from Miami (9-16) and Penn State (9-23), and travel to Purdue (10-28), implementing community service projects.
“This is our first year hosting and we are really excited about the service activities we have planned over the course of the season,” graduate-student chair Matthew Lambert said. “Our hope is that we can turn this into a Big Ten initiative, and from there, adopted by the NCAA.”
Upcoming events over the next two weeks include dinner and dialogue sessions Friday evenings followed by service projects game-day at Willow Brook Christian Home, Lutheran Social Services, Isabelle Ridgeway Nursing Home, The James Cancer Hospital, The Heinzerling Foundation and Project OpenHand-Columbus.
Mrs. Taft will address participants Saturday at an Ohio State-Miami pregame rally at 11 a.m. on the southeast lawn of St. John Arena.
Students interested in participating may contact Student Activities & Campus Programs at 614-292-8763. A listing of Make A Difference Day projects in communities around the country phone 1-800-416-3824 or log on to www.usaweekend.com/diffday.
