December 6, 2001
Registration nears for MLK service day
By Steve Hill
University Week
Officials at the UW are hoping faculty, staff and students will put their Jan. 21 holiday to good use.
For the second year in a row, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, will be a chance for the campus community to gather and serve those in need throughout King and Pierce Counties. Last year about 200 people participated in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. This year, Gail Gautestad hopes that as many as 500 make the holiday a day on, not a day off. The registration deadline for the event is Dec. 31.
“We’re really trying to get the word out this year,” Gautestad, the public relations coordinator for University Relations, said. “There are a handful of folks on campus who are committed to recruiting participants and that shouldn’t be too difficult because this project really sells itself.”
Gautestad said it’s a day when the campus community can come together, free of everyday job responsibilities and worries, and make an immediate difference for people in need.
“Maybe people don’t have time for an ongoing commitment,” she said. “Well this gives them the opportunity to help out on a more manageable scale. Besides, it’s a good cause.”
Teams of volunteers will meet at 8:30 that Monday morning in the ByGeorge Café. Over coffee and rolls they will iron out the final details of their assignments, then hear brief motivational comments from President Richard L. McCormick and English Professor Charles Johnson. Johnson is the author of King: A Photobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Dreamer, a historical fiction novel about King. By
9:30 a.m. volunteers will be on the road to their work sites.
Nancy Blase, who heads the UW’s Natural Sciences Library, participated a year ago. She said it was an important event for at least a couple of reasons. In addition to fulfilling the University’s community outreach role, she said it was a good opportunity for students, faculty and staff who may not know one another to pull together and accomplish something.
“It just felt like something I wanted to do,” she said. “I do believe in volunteering for things when I can and I think this is a very worthwhile endeavor for the University.”
The administration agrees with her.
“Dr. Martin Luther King pointed to what America could become,” said Jack Faris, the UW’s vice president for University Relations. “By participating in the Day of Service, we not only honor his memory, we take a step toward fulfilling his dream.”
Members of the campus community are encouraged to bring their family and friends to participate. For children between 6 and 12, prior arrangements should be made to ensure an appropriate job site. Organizers ask that children younger than 6 not be included in the day’s activities. Participants receive a free T-shirt commemorating the event.
The service day began nationally after President Bill Clinton signed the King Holiday and Service Act in August 1994. The event is intended to honor King by embracing his message of service and hope that people can come together to break down social and economic barriers. Gautestad said the event is growing nationwide. She expects the biggest increase in participation on this campus to come from faculty and staff. Last year’s volunteers were primarily students.
“We had an excellent showing by the students and some participation by faculty and staff. But we would really like to get those numbers up there,” she said.
Locally, the United Way of King County and the University Book Store are co-sponsoring the event with the UW. More information, including a registration form, can be found on the Web at http://depts.washington.edu/mlkjr/.
National sponsors include the Corporation for National Service and the King Center.
