Student Government-organized event attracts 70 volunteers
After weeks of fundraising and planning, Student Government and members of 12 other organizations packed 20,000 meals for underprivileged students at the annual Pack-A-Thon.
About $6,600 was raised for Feed the Hunger, an evangelical mission organization that provides these meals as well as builds churches and schools and distributes “Family Crisis Kits” to people from Kentucky to Kenya.
There were 70 volunteers from social sororities, business fraternities and other campus organizations who packed meals in the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center for two hours Saturday afternoon, far exceeding the reach of last year’s event.
“We basically doubled the entire event from last year, in terms of money raised and volunteers,” said Rachel Kitchens, a second-year business economics student and SG’s secretary of community service. “We really want to keep that momentum.”
Representatives from Feed the Hunger helped run the Saturday afternoon event. Volunteers went through an orientation and watched a video before the packing began.
They then split off into groups of eight and packed meals, talking and having fun along the way.
“The event went really smoothly, and I think everyone had a really great time. It really showed people how easy it was to make a really big difference,” Kitchens said. “The actual packing of the meals was really easy, you talk to a bunch of people, and it’s a lot of fun … You talk and laugh and do something that helps the community and feeds kids for a school year.”
Those who helped plan the event are already looking toward next year’s Pack-A-Thon. The team has several meetings planned to reflect on Saturday’s project and will use those reflections in the coming year’s planning efforts.
Kitchens, whose term on Student Body President Chase Mizzell’s cabinet ends when the next president takes office, said she will remain involved in Pack-A-Thon no matter what she ends up doing next year.
“I know I’ll do whatever I can to help with it, and I know that we’ll be beginning planning even earlier and start doing some preliminary planning next semester,” Kitchens said.