Media Advisory – ‘The Big Event’

March 28, 2017

Media Advisory – ‘The Big Event’

Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to cover the biggest one-day service project in the history of Southern Illinois University Carbondale on Saturday, April 1.

More than 1,000 students, faculty and staff have volunteered to participate in the inaugural “Big Event: A Saluki Day of Service.”

The volunteers will be donating their time and energy to nearly 20 service projects on campus and throughout the community in appreciation of the region’s support of the university and its people. Work shifts are from 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m., or both. Upon arrival at any of the project sites, members of the media may wish to initially talk with student site leaders (noted below).

 “The Big Event: Saluki Day of Service” schedule, including organization, time, location, a brief description of each project and the student site leaders, includes:

• Carbondale Main Street: 9 a.m. to noon, Town Square Pavilion, 120 N. Illinois Ave., beautifying the downtown area by picking up trash and planting flowers. Student site leaders are Sarah Stipp and Alexander Bertrand. Rain or shine.
• Green Earth Inc.: 9 a.m. to noon, 2009 W. Freeman/Green Earth Hiking Trail entrance, improving trails and removing invasive plants and making other habitat improvements. Student site leaders are Michelle Soto and Cheeyoun Kang. Rain cancels project.
• Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale: 9 a.m. to noon, 250 N. Springer St., helping with clean-up and revitalization of the club or at an event that may involve youth. Student site leaders are Shayla Brown and Swan Nur Fareeha. Rain or shine.
• St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church: 9 a.m. to noon, 402 W. Mill St., making mats for homeless people. Student site leaders are Josie Taylor and “Jessica” Jie Shi Liew. Rain or shine.
• Stay Safe Family Fun Fest sponsored by the Jackson County Healthy Communities Coalition and other organizations, 1-4 p.m., Carbondale Superblock/701 S. Lewis Lane, helping with a family fun event promoting safety as well as with set-up and clean-up activities. Mary McGee and Paige Kannall are the student site volunteers. Rain or shine but in the event of rain, it will be moved to the Carbondale Middle School at 1150 E. Grand Ave.
• For Kids’ Sake, 1-4 p.m., Town Square Pavilion/120 N. Illinois Ave., helping set up and prepare for the 17th annual art auction which benefits the education and well-being of students and orphans in Bangladesh. Student site leaders are Penny Bowser and Grace Chen. Rain or shine.
• Humane Society, 1-4 p.m., 95 Humane Road in Murphysboro, providing animal care and doing painting, cleaning and yard work at the facility. Dennis Ramsook is the student site leader. Rain or shine.
• Touch of Nature Environmental Center: all day, 1206 Touch of Nature Road (about eight miles south of Carbondale on Giant City Road), cleaning up trash and debris, protecting outdoor wooden structures and cleaning and building trails. Student site leaders are Katrina Medernach, Becky Zhang and Jaun Corral. Rain or shine.
• Keep Carbondale Beautiful: all day, Town Square Pavilion/120 N. Illinois Ave., picking up litter and recyclable items at locations around the city. Joshua Metz, Madelyn Maynard and Sherrylynn Mack are the student site leaders. Rain or shine.
• Autism Society of Southern Illinois-Southern Illinois Chapter: all day, Wal-Mart at 1450 E. Main St. and Kroger at 501 N. Giant City Road, helping with fundraising and Autism Awareness Week kick-off activities. Nona Hashem Sharifi and Anthony Jones are the student site leaders. Rain or shine.
• Tree planting at SIU’s campus lake: all day, working with the forestry department to plant cypress trees around the lake to help with its revitalization; student site leader is Nathaniel Lightle. Rain or shine.
• SIU Student Center Craft Shop: all day, lower level of the Student Center, making birdhouses as well as clay coin-shaped “random tokens of kindness” to distribute rewarding acts of kindness, also bicycle repair and registration. Student site leaders are Mary McGee, Penny Bowser and Dennis Ramsook in the morning and Alexander Bertrand, Cheeyoun Kang, Grace Chen, Wan Nur Fareeha, Cassondra Walker and Josie Taylor in the afternoon. Rain or shine.
• First responder appreciation – Firefighter’s kit assembly:  1-4 p.m., Sangamon Room on the second floor of the Student Center, packing cards and snacks to create appreciation packets for firefighters. Student site leaders are Alexander Bertrand, Cheeyoun Kang, Grace Chen, Wan Nur Fareeha, Cassondra Walker and Josie Taylor. Rain or shine.
• Veteran appreciation: 1-4 p.m., Ohio Room on the second floor of the Student Center, creating “thank you” cards for veterans on campus and around the region to express appreciation for their service to their country. The student site leaders are Alexander Bertrand, Cheeyoun Kang, Grace Chen, Wan Nur Fareeha, Cassondra Walker and Josie Taylor. Rain or shine.
• SIU Sustainability Office: all day, the Hub on the first floor of the Student Center, helping collect and sort donated items for office’s donation drive. The student site leaders for the morning shift are Mary McGee, Penny Bowser and Dennis Ramsook and the afternoon leaders include Alexander Bertrand, Cheeyoun Kang, Grace Chen, Wan Nur Fareeha, Cassondra Walker and Josie Taylor. Rain or shine.
• Wesley Foundation: two different projects to benefit the foundation, both are all day. In the Mackinaw Room on the second floor of the Student Center, volunteers will be re-packaging rice from 50-pound bags to one-pound bags for Carbondale food pantries. In the Iroquois Room, also on the second floor of the Student Center, volunteers will assemble school supply kits for students in need. Mary McGee, Penny Bowser and Dennis Ramsook are the student site leaders for the morning sessions while Alexander Bertrand, Cheeyoun Kang, Grace Chen, Wan Nur Fareeha, Cassondra Walker and Josie Taylor lead the afternoon sessions. Rain or shine.
• America Red Cross blood drive, all day, Renaissance Room on the second floor of the Student Center, assisting by registering blood donors, providing refreshments, donating blood and assisting staff. Student site leaders for the morning session Mary McGee, Penny Bowser and Dennis Ramsook and the afternoon session leaders are Alexander Bertrand, Cheeyoun Kang, Grace Chen, Wan Nur Fareeha, Cassondra Walker and Josie Taylor. Rain or shine.

For more information about “The Big Event: A Saluki Day of Service,” contact event co-chairs Cordy Love, director of New Student Programs at 618/453-1000 or cordy@siu.edu or Nick Weshinskey, coordinator of University College, at 618/536-5558 or nick@siu.edu.