The intensity and magnitude of a student-run campaign to promote volunteerism at Fresno State is so powerful it’s tipping the Richter scale.

The “What Impact Will You Make?” campaign, aims to raise awareness about the magnitude of volunteering via the Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning at California State University, Fresno and encourage students to volunteer. The campaign was created by students in the “Public Relations Cases and Campaigns” class in the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism.

The culmination is a “Rock the Richter Center” concert 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. April 25 on the lawn area near Cedar and Scott avenues, just east of the Wathen Tennis Center. Mercury Bullet, Applenasty, Headrush, 40 Watt Hype, Flight 409, Politic, Plan B and Midnight Howlers will perform. Representatives of nonprofit organizations will be there to tell students about volunteering opportunities.

Other campaign activities include a “Capture Your Kindness” photo contest and a Richter Center Information Fair, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 23 and 24 in the free speech area.

“Fresno State’s service initiatives have incredibly positive impacts in our community. We want to continually to build student support and encourage more community involvement and volunteerism,” said Chris Fiorentino, director of the Richter Center.

“This campaign not only provides more awareness of the Richter Center on campus, but, more important, it will help students realize the impact that they can – and do – make when they volunteer.”

The university has had a designated volunteer and community service office for more than 17 years. In 2007, a $3.5 million endowment from alumni Jan and Bud Richter, who have been community and Fresno State volunteers and benefactors for more than 60 years, helped to establish the center named for them.
During the past academic year, more than 6,300 Fresno State students participated in organized community volunteering and service-learning. They logged 485,300 hours, providing an economic benefit to the community estimated at more than $10.4 million, based on estimates by the national Independent Sector forum and local financial support of students who volunteer.

One goal of the Richter Center is to help the university achieve its goal of providing 1 million hours of annual service from the campus community by Fresno State’s Centennial in 2011.

“I believe that the Richter Center is a gift to the community because of the magnitude of things that it does and is involved in,” said Wendy Hughart, a public relations student working on the campaign.

Sponsors of the campaign include Associated Students Inc., the Public Relations Student Society of America, Puresense Environmental, Fresno State Utility Management, Wizard Entertainment, Yosemite Fitness and Bulldog Entertainment.

For details, visit www.myspace.com/richtercenter or contact Megan Jacobsen at 559.284.4851.