Many student organizations, as well as individual faculty, staff and students, take time to give back to both the campus and greater Findlay community. Following is a look at just a few of the events and acts of kindness completed by those at The University of Findlay.

Christmas on Campus
Coats for Christmas
Deck the Trees
Recreational Services
SIFE Team
Toys for Tots

Christmas on Campus
On Dec. 6, more than 70 area children visited The University of Findlay for the fourth annual Christmas on Campus event, hosted by the Hospitality Management Club and several other campus organizations.
   
UF faculty and staff donated toys, which were given to the children, and 74 student volunteers acted as big brothers and sisters for the afternoon.
   
“What a joy it was to see the faces of the children …,” said John Wolper, Ed.D., co-adviser to the Hospitality Management Club. “If ever there was a spirit of giving, it was in full bloom at that particular moment as some kids were so overjoyed, they ran back up on stage to give Santa a big hug …”
   
The afternoon included crafts, face painting, music and more. The sign language club taught the children sign language, and theater students performed a skit: The Night Before Christmas.

A child shows off his festive face paint.

Theater major Tom Lalonde reads “The Night Before Christmas” to children who attended Christmas on Campus.

Coats for Christmas
The campus community donated 233 coats, 61 hats and 145 pairs of gloves to citizens in Hancock County through the Findlay-Hancock County Coats for Christmas drive, which is in its 20th year of operation. All of the items collected were distributed Dec. 13 and 14 to citizens of Hancock County.

Deck the Trees
The Public Relations Student Society of America hosted its annual Deck the Trees event Dec. 2 in the Alumni Memorial Union. Student organizations decorated Christmas trees based on the theme, Christmas in Whoville, which was chosen in a school-wide contest in October.

Best of Show went to the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team; Best Representation of Theme was awarded to physical therapy; Most Creative tree award was given to the Marketing Club; and the People’s Choice award was presented to the Technology and Gaming Club (TAG).

Members of UF’s Rotaract club decorate a Christmas tree.	Mat Marrash and Gabe Kroupa pose for a photo in front of the Technology and Gaming Club’s tree, “Merry Christmas from TAG, PacMan, Whoville and the Grinch,” winner of the People’s Choice Award.

Recreational Services Adopts Families
Recreational Services student employees volunteered to donate some of their hourly wages and raised approximately $1,700 to adopt two families from The Salvation Army. According to Bryan Golding, director of recreational services, 44 students chose to participate, making this the largest dollar amount the group has raised for this project compared to past years.

Several student groups shopped for gifts, which included necessities such as clothing and gift cards for groceries, as well as toys for the children, and even a small kitchen table and chairs. One family consisted of a mother and two children, ages 3 and 9; the second family included grandparents raising five grandchildren, ages 4 to 17.

“The students get to see how fortunate we are and what these families go through – that truly, there wouldn’t be a Christmas if we didn’t help them out,” said Golding.

SIFE Team Helps Local Families
Members of the SIFE team prepared and served a meal at the Findlay City Mission Dec. 3. Team members completed the meal-planning and preparation process, making sure local individuals had a hot meal for the evening.
   
Walgreens donated vitamins to the team, which distributed them to the City Mission.
   
The SIFE team also adopted a family from The Salvation Army.

Megan Garner, Alex Hale, Dr. Greg Arburn, Jason Florence and Astolfo Marrufo prepare a meal for people at the Findlay City Mission.

Toys for Tots
The University’s Office of Student Activities recently collected 504 toys and $50 for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves’ Toys for Tots collection drive. Donations were given by community members and UF students, faculty and staff.

A Christmas celebration was held Dec. 4 at the conclusion of the on-campus toy drive, although donations continued to arrive through Dec. 18.

The Hancock County Marines have hosted the Toys for Tots drive for 21 years. This was the seventh year UF participated as a host site. Last year, 300 toys were collected from the UF community. All donations remain in Hancock County.

Luther Mayfield is barely visible under the pile of toys donated to Toys for Tots.

Ashley Dutridge poses for a photo with Santa’s helper dog, Asha.

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