Washington & Jefferson College

Community Service at W&J: Raising Money for a Cure at George & Tom's

“Take a Walk”

During the first week of school, I received an e-mail from my RA. He invited me to participate in a Relay for Life walk at Cameron Stadium. I didn't think much of it at the time; my mind wandered away from the subject as soon as I logged out of my e-mail. When I saw my RA, I gave him a few dollars to support the cause, but to be honest, I found myself sleeping in the following Sunday rather than participating in the walk.

A few days later, I found out that my two year-old niece was diagnosed with kidney cancer. I regretted that I didn’t walk a mile that day.

W&J offers great opportunities to get involved in volunteer work and fundraising on campus. Nationally student-run service organizations on campus include Big Brothers Big Sisters of W&J, Up ‘til Dawn, The Lions Club, and G.I.V.E (Getting Involved In Volunteer Experiences).

W&J is presently sponsoring Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. The project uses the week before Thanksgiving to bring light to the obstacles Americans living in poverty face every day. W&J’s Office of Volunteer Programs is located in the Hub and provides all the information someone needs to get involved.

The next time you notice a table of students with signs set up in George & Tom’s, take a minute and really notice them. More often than not, they are raising money for one of the great fundraisers here on campus.

When you volunteer, you never know who you may be helping. Someone who decided to take a walk that Sunday helped my niece and they didn’t even know it.

If you get an opportunity to take a walk, take it.

Peter White
W&J Class of 2011