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Third annual Day of Service to be held April 19

By Mara Fink '11
April 7, 2008

Oles living all over country will be raking, painting and planting in the name of service April 19 as part of the third annual St. Olaf National Day of Service.

Day of Service 2007, Denver
Mitch Lehn '92 helps unload several bags of dry goods to be repackaged for a Denver-area food shelf during the 2007 National Day of Service. Lehn and nearly 40 other Ole volunteers later were joined by President David R. Anderson '74.
This year's event will feature seven sites of service: the Twin Cities; Seattle; Denver; Chicago; Madison, Wis.; Owatonna, Minn.; and Washington, D.C. The activities at each site vary, but range from cleaning up neighborhood gardens and streets to painting murals and making puppets. The registration deadline is Friday, April 11, and students and alumni who wish to get involved should sign up through Alumni and Parent Relations.

The St. Olaf Alumni and Parent Relations Office organizes the Day of Service. Interim Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Nathan Soland '04 says the event is key in spreading the St. Olaf spirit of service. "It's important that alumni get involved to not only serve the community in which they live and work, but also to engage with other Oles of all ages and backgrounds," Soland says. "By building community within our alumni family, we can further our reach into groups and other initiatives of similar nature."

Student Alumni Association Coordinator Katie Hellen '08 says in addition to the importance of the spirit of service, the event also helps connect different generations of Oles.

"National Day of Service is important for two reasons. First, it is an opportunity for students and alumni to come together, learn from one another and make an impact in our community," she says. "Secondly, it continues with the college's spirit of service. This is demonstrated through the numerous student volunteer organizations and spring break service trips, to name a few. National Day of Service unites Oles from all generations around a common value: service."

President David R. Anderson '74 plans to participate in the Day of Service by working with Oles at a park in the Maryland area. "The National Day of Service focuses the attention of the entire St. Olaf family on our duty to use the gifts we have been given in the service of others and gives us the opportunity to serve together, as a community," he says. "It's a wonderful expression of the ethos of the college."

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.