Community day of service

Day of the Dogs, TLU's annual day of service will take place Feb. 6 from 8 a.m. to noon. TLU students, faculty, staff and alumni will join together as a community to provide a city-wide day of service to over 30 organizations in town.

Service projects, ranging from highway clean-up to working with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Seguin Day Care Center, will be worked by diverse clubs, groups and organizations.

"Even if it's just a one-day event, it really gives students, faculty and staff an opportunity to meet with an organization to build a relationship and make a commitment to start volunteering there on a regular basis," Kathryn Nyholm, AmeriCorps, VISTA worker and volunteerism coordinator, said.

The format this year is such that students can sign up either with a club or organization, or individually by their residence hall, to incorporate everyone in a familiar community service group.

The day of the event participants will check in at 8 a.m. Jackson Park with their service groups and wake up to refreshments and breakfast tacos before leaving to their sites at 9 a.m. All sites were told to wrap up their service projects at noon. Free t-shirts to all who participate will also be available.

Throughout the years, Day of the Dogs has been well-received.

"It started in 2008 as a part of the celebration of the inauguration of president Svennungsen," Susan Rinn, assistant vice president of university relations, said. "It was so widely received and so appreciated by people the in the community that we decided to make it an annual tradition."

The day-long event includes alumni this year and a different format that allows students, faculty, staff, and different clubs and organizations on campus to integrate and come together for a greater cause outside of TLU.

"Day of the Dogs is not just a day of service to the community; it's a day for TLU community to do a service to the community," Tim Barr, director of the Jon and Sandra Moline Center for Servant Leadership, said.