MLK Day Care Facelift initiates independent service project
The Center for Student Engagement and Community Partnerships at Virginia Tech is hosting its annual MLK Day Care Facelift in association with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion's Martin Luther King Jr. 2012 celebration week.
As part of the Seasons of Service initiative, the MLK Day Care Facelift gave volunteers an opportunity to participate in renovation projects for over 10 day cares throughout the New River Valley and reflect on the value of service as presented by Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.
The Virginia Tech men’s lacrosse club participated in the 2011 Facelift and partnered with the Rainbow Riders day care to build a stage. Brett Burnette of Great Falls, Va., a senior majoring in management in the Pamplin School of Business, served as the team leader. According to Burnette, the service experience inspired him to lead another group back to Rainbow Riders almost a year later to continue their day care facelift project.
“The center had plans to create this stage for the children for some time, but they lacked the manpower necessary to complete the job,” Burnette said. “This is where we were able to assist them in completing a task that had been a dream of theirs, which we helped become a reality.”
On Oct. 23, Burnette and a group of eight other students returned to Rainbow Riders to complete the original project, three platforms that measure 5 feet by 5 feet for a stage. Throughout the group’s eight hour day, the team not only completed the stage, but was able to rake out the sand box and mulch the swing set and gardens.
“I really enjoyed completing a project where it was easy to see the tangible, positive results that we created for the day care center,” Burnette said. “I know they will use our stage for many activities for years to come, and this makes us feel great about our contribution.”
On Saturday Jan. 21, 2012, the center will hold its fourth annual MLK Day Care Facelift in hopes of reaching out to both more volunteers and more day cares. Expanding on past years facelifts, teams made up of community members, students, faculty, and staff will work with local day cares to plan a service project based on the needs of the day care organizations.
For more information or to register check out the 2012 MLK Daycare Facelift site or email Kayla Hastrup. Both teams and individuals can register to participate. Deadline to register is Dec. 12, 2011.
Written by Kayla Hastrup.
