|
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.
|
