Halloween Events Impact Community

When the ghosts and goblins come out to play this Halloween, students at Georgia College & State University have several chances to impact their community.

Through participating in a blood drive, a Halloween carnival, or a different version of trick or treating, students can help perform community service on Oct. 31.

The Dr. John Sallstrom blood drive is a traditional blood drive sponsored by the GIVE Center. Students can donate blood anytime from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 31. The drive will be located in the MSU Lounge.

Rachel Bliss, student coordinator for blood drives, said it is important for students, faculty and staff to give blood, especially since there is a big need for it due to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.

“Giving blood can save lives, and it is a very rewarding experience,” Bliss said. “With the attack in September, I think people are more aware of the need and will come to help.”

After the blood drive, Big Brothers Big Sisters, a mentoring program that matches college students with a child in the community, will be sponsoring a Halloween Carnival on front campus. The carnival will begin at 4:30 p.m. and last until 6:30 p.m. Different student groups are assisting with the event by helping the children and by setting up game booths.

The last service event for the day is for all students. Gamma Sigma Sigma, a national co-ed service sorority and the 2000-2001 Dean’s Cup Winner, will be sponsoring Trick or Treat for Cans.

Trick or Treat for Cans will begin at 5:30 p.m. on the MSU Patio. Students can dress up in their Halloween costumes and will be divided into groups. The groups will then go to different neighborhoods and ask for canned food items.

All teams report back to MSU at 7:00 p.m., and the teams that collect the most cans will win a prize. Pizza and refreshments will also be served.

“This event is a traditional activity for Gamma Sigma Sigma, but this year we wanted to open it up to all students,” Jessica Roman, president, said. “This will show others the type of service we do and provide programming for the student body.”

All food collected will be given to the food pantry located at St. Stephens Episcopal Church.

For more information about any of these events, students can contact the G.I.V.E. Center at 445-5700 or Kendall Stiles at 445-5936.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 26 2001. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry