MOUNT VERNON -- On a Labor Day weekend when most eastern Iowans are enjoying a break from work, Cornell College students, faculty and staff will spend the morning of Saturday, Sept. 2, toiling as volunteers around the area. They'll celebrate the hours they donate during a halftime show at the Cornell-Simpson football game at Ash Park in Mount Vernon. Game time is 1:30 p.m.
Roughly 375 workers are expected to volunteer at about 25 sites during Cornell's sixth annual New Student Orientation Service Day. Workers will be at the sites from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
About 8,495 hours have been volunteered at the five previous orientation service days. It is the largest single-day community service project Cornell organizes and serves as the kickoff for a year's worth of service projects. Cornell classes begin Monday, Sept. 4. During the 1999-2000 academic year 76 percent of Cornell students participated in service projects.
Saturday's service projects include:
Cedar Rapids/Marion
Vacant storefront next to Paramount Theatre, 123 Third Ave. SE -- cleaning, washing windows, led by Cornell President Les Garner
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, 410 Third Ave. SE -- cleaning and moving
The History Center, 615 First Ave. SE -- cleaning and filing
Tanager Place, 2309 C St. SW -- grounds work, with assistance from 25 Tanager children, followed by soccer and other games
Catherine McCauley Center for Women, 866 Fourth Ave. SW -- sorting and yard work
CSPS, 1103 Third St. SE -- cleaning and painting, led by CSPS founding member and Cornell associate professor of art Tony Plaut
Granger House, 970 10th St., Marion -- grounds work and cleaning
Mount Vernon/Lisbon
Mount Vernon Elementary School -- repainting lines on playground
Mount Vernon Fire Station/Ambulance Service -- cleaning vehicles
Mount Vernon Memorial Park/Welcome Center -- grounds work and cleaning
Mount Vernon Nature Park -- trail cleanup, wood chipping
Iowa City
Riverside Theater Festival Stage, Lower City Park -- Ron Clark and Jody Hovland, Riverside co-artistic directors and artists-in-residence at Cornell, will help volunteers paint the stage
Eastern Iowa
Lake Macbride, Solon -- cleaning up trail and picnic area
Miracles in Motion, Swisher -- grounds work
Octagonal Barn, Downey -- painting and cleaning
