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Huskies celebrate volunteering
Volunteer Link presented the first ever Huskies at Your Service Day to celebrate and encourage volunteerism this Saturday.
The purpose of this one-day special event was to connect the SCSU community with the St. Cloud community and surrounding areas. The event began at 9 a.m. with doughnuts, juice and coffee in the Atwood Ballroom, along with a performance by motivational speaker and performer James Hersch, who was also the keynote at the evening banquet.
"What we want is to examine what we do and how it relates to the world around us," Hersch said.
At 10 a.m. SCSU students, fac�ulty and staff began a full day of service projects for various com�munity agencies including Place of Hope and Housing Coalition.
"Students collected donations for our Spring Cleaning Drive," said Tom Schroer, Resident Services/Warehouse management of the Housing Coalition.
According to Schroer, the Spring Cleaning Drive is designed to get furniture for low-income housing families.
The Place of Hope engaged stu�dents in similar activities, deliver�ing furniture to people involved in the organization's programs.
Student volunteers were also involved in other activities, such as the March of Dimes and Adopt-a-Highway.
According to Volunteer Link director, Owen Zimpel, a crew from KVSC cleaned a stretch of Highway 10 and the fraternity Delta Sigma P, helped with the March of Dimes.
"Delta Sigma Pi assisted with setting up, registration and handing out water to the walkers," said vol�unteer link graduate assistant David Gulliskson.
Volunteer day also allowed international students like Asim Razzaque to fulfill some gradua�tion requirements.
"I need to have 15 hours of off-campus volunteer hours," said Razzaque.
At about 6:30 p.m. volunteers returned from a day of service to share stories and fill their stomachs at a banquet and awards ceremony. SCSU organization Z-Club, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and its founder, Chad Groetsch, were also honored at the banquet.
"When I formed Z-Club in 1991 there was no campus organi�zation specifically dedicated to volunteering," said Groetsch, who is now the director of the United Cerebral Palsy of Central Minnesota program, Computers Go-Round.
Z-Club, according to Groetsch, had 12 members when he first started the club, predominantly from his residence, W.W. Holes Hall. Now that the club has grown to over 100 members, the next step for the organization is recognition, Groetsch said.
"So often people recognize the organization name, and know the agencies the organization helps, but fail to recognize the students (Z-Club) draws from," Groetsch said. "Z-Club has the level of respect, now it just needs the recognition necessary to perpetuate itself."
One dedicated Z-Club volun�teer recognized at the banquet was Jesse Bimstihl who won the $500 Rich Murray Scholarship, which supports the SCSU students who have demonstrated a commitment to giving of themselves to others through volunteerism.
According to Zimpel, the schol�arship was not awarded solely on the day's performance but rather on the cumulative volunteering efforts a student had made. Zimpel also noted volunteering is not only a way to gain valuable work experi�ence and potential scholarships, but is also a great resume builder.
Bimstihl, a senior majoring in elementary education, will not be lacking in items to fill his resume. He has been involved in a myriad of activities while at SCSU, includ�ing the American Choral Directors Association, Campus Crusade for Christ, Concert Choir, GLBT Alliance, Newman Club and Z-Club.
He also served on the hall coun�cil of the residence where Z-Club founding father, Groetsch, once lived � W.W. Holes Hall.
Volunteer Link members, old and new, hope that this inaugural volunteering day will be the first of many to come.
"It's a great idea," Groetsch said. "It's a great opportunity to showcase the volunteer efforts of students at SCSU."
Kevin Hanson contributed to this story.
Kristen J. Kubisiak can be reached at: [email protected]
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