By Andrew Mason, Staff Reporter.
Volunteering isn’t usually how college students want to spend their free-time, but what if $1000 was thrown into the mix?
Delta College’s Multicultural Services Department is hosting the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Project Challenge, which offers clubs and organizations at Delta the opportunity to win up to $1000 if they attain more volunteer points than competing clubs. The task is simple: groups will attend approved volunteer sights to gain points, and the club with the most points by the end of March wins it all. If there is an overall tie in points, then the group with the most amount of volunteer hours will win.
“We’re trying to get students more involved in community service work,” says John Neal, supervisor of the event. “When [Delta students] leave here and go off for work, or for play, or to socialize, it’s in the community, so it’s kind of like giving back to the community that gives to you.”
Cash prizes are awarded to the top three clubs. The first place winner receives $1000, the second place winner receives $700 and the third place winner will receive $300. All cash prizes won will be put into the club’s account.
Every approved volunteer site your club attends will earn you two points. Your group can choose other sites to volunteer at that are not on the approved list, but volunteering at sites not on that list will only earn you one point, and you must get the site pre-approved by the Student and Civic Engagement Office, located in A-003. When attending volunteer sites, clubs must have three representatives who are Delta students present, and attendees must sign forms stating they were there.
The competition runs from now until March 31. Contact John Neal by email at johnneal@delta.edu if you wish to enter your group.