Community Activities Calendar

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Holiday Funfest

Happy Holidays! Rollins is partnering with The Children's Home Society, Devereux Florida & One Hope United Foster Care Facilities for our annual Holiday Funfest. The event is on December 7 from 4:00 - 8:00 pm. Children will enter *Rollins Winter Wonderland* and experience a Magic Show, meet Santa Claus, enjoy entertainment sponsored by Rollins students, and many more fun activities that you create with them (ex: making cupcakes, building a picture frame, creating a book about themselves, making ornaments, etc.).

We need YOU to sponsor children for gifts, provide crafts and activities for children, or be a Funfest Buddy and be a friend for the evening. ALL students, staff, faculty, organizations and departments are welcome. Come share this wonderful holiday experience! 


There are many ways to get involved.  
1)  Sponsor a Child
2)  Serve as a Buddy
3)  Host a Craft or Activity Table
To sign up to host a table , please contact:   Faculty/Staff: Tina Hall ( thall@rollins.edu )
4)  Serve as a Volunteer
 
We hope to see you there! Please leave a comment if you want to get involved or sponsor a table. Thank you! =) 

Boys and Girls Club Visits Rollins!

What: The Boys and Girls Club of Orlando will be visiting the campus to play kickball, chalk the sidewalk, play hopscotch, hula hoop, make arts and crafts and have some pizza!
When: November 30 from 2:35 pm to 5 pm
Where 
Rollins College - Mills Memorial Hall  (View Map)
1000 Holt Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32789
United States
Phone: 407-646-2000
Room: Mill's Lawn

Contact Information:
Name: Sofia Macias
Email: smacias@rollins.edu 


 

Monday, November 21, 2011

Sort & Awe - Harvest Time International

On Saturday, November 26, volunteers are needed to help victims of disasters by sorting blankets, towels, clothing and other household items.

From 9 am to 12 pm, you’ll be able to help hundreds of people who desperately need your helping hands. Please wear comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes. No special skills are required; just bring your smile and desire to make a difference.
Be sure to bring along a completed VIP (waiver of liability) form to this project.
This project is open to individuals, couples, families, groups and corporate teams.

To sign up, click on the event calendar for more information or contact jmerrell@rollins.edu if you have any questions.

http://www.harvesttime.org/

Second Annual Toy Drive

The toy drive began on November 14th and will end on December 16th. We are hoping to raise 600 toys to donate to The Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital, Florida Hospital, and Give Kids the World. In order to reach our goal and donate to as many children and teens as possible, we encourage you to contribute. Any help that can be drawn from your community, religious institution, and personal network will also greatly be appreciated. This is a wonderful cause and this year, we want to give these kids “The Gift of Hope.”
 
Currently, we are looking for any new toys and all ages ranging from infants to 18 years old. Toy bins will be placed in the Crummer lobby and will be regularly collected. I’ve attached the Toy Drive flyer and wish list for your perusal.
 
We thank you for your kind generosity. If you have any questions, please contact Joshua Aguilar, Jessica Merrell, or Lauren Maxwell.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital Tour


Today, Crummer students were given a tour of Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children -- one of the three organizations we are partnering with for our Second Annual Toy Drive. Thank you to the students who participated and to our fantastic tour guides, Whitney, Linda and Dena. We enjoyed learning more about the history and mission of the hospital. It is truly filled with cutting edge technology and innovative play areas!

So, you may be thinking... where are the donated toys going? Toys will be distributed to children and families in the hospital during the holidays, on special occasions (ex: birthdays), or after an extensive procedure. Many parents do not have time or energy to buy presents because the child's sickness is often unexpected.

Lastly, most people automatically associate a toy drive with children ages 3 to 12; however, the age range also encompasses infants and teenagers (through age 23) who are treated in this hospital. We were encouraged to target these overlooked age ranges. 

This tour reinforced the purpose of our 2012 Toy Drive. We are grateful for student, business and community involvement and motivated to reach our goal of 600 toys! Thank you for joining us to give "The Gift of Hope."

Monday, November 14, 2011

Second Harvest Canned Food Drive Results

Congratulations! 
 
The results are in and Crummer reached its goal for the Second Harvest Canned Food Drive!
The combined student population raised $281 in Cash and a whopping 251 lbs for the Helping Hands/Second Harvest Food Drive.
Our Faculty and Staff were very respectable with $262 in Cash and 81 lbs. of food.
 
Thanks to all for your contributions - way to go Crummer!
 
As you can see in the following email, the entire Rollins campus raised over 21, 474 lbs!

2011 Toy Drive Letter

Dearest Deans, Faculty, Staff, and Fellow Students:

Christmas is a special time; a time when family and friends unite in the spirit of joyful thanksgiving and celebration. There is, however, another reality, one of despair and sadness. Each year many families have children who are sick in the hospital during the holiday season. These families are confronting what is very likely their darkest hour during a time that should rightly be filled with happiness. There is nothing more heartbreaking for a parent than to see their child suffer. Four years ago I myself faced a similar tragic experience in my family. The sorrow of many permeated the air. It was an experience that left an indelible mark on my heart. This experience has been a marching call to action ever since that day. That is why for the second time at Rollins College I am asking you for help.

What is Christmas if anything but the promise of Hope? After all, how could we forget the precious innocent moments from our childhood as we awoke the next morning to receive presents under the tree, or enjoyed a hearty meal with the family, or knelt in earnest prayer for a better, more peaceful world? Hope is all around us. I am asking you to search your inner child, look outside of yourself, and share this hope in the form of a toy drive. That is why I am calling this year’s toy campaign the “Gift of Hope.” The success and hope of this campaign, of course, starts with you.

Last year your response was remarkable. In total, we collected 500 toys for Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital. This year, we are not only benefitting this fine institution but we are also looking to benefit all Central Florida children’s health institutions, including Florida Hospital and a wonderful organization known as Give Kids the World. This campaign we launch will be the largest toy campaign launched in the history of Central Florida. It is a tall challenge, but I know that with your help we can do great things. The goal for the toy drive is 600 toys. The campaign will start this Monday, November 14th and will extend until classes end on December 17th. Any help that can be drawn from your community, church, and personal network will also greatly be appreciated. We are looking for any new toys and all ages ranging from infants to 18 years old. Toy bins will be placed in the Crummer lobby and will be regularly collected.

With all my heart thank you for your generosity. Your kind gift will never go forgotten. On behalf of myself and my partners Jesse Merrell and Lauren Maxwell, I ask that you join me in giving the Gift of Hope! May the joy and peace of the Christmas season be with all of you. 

 Sincerely,

Joshua Aguilar

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Orlando Day Nursery's 90th Anniversary Celebration!

We are looking for 12-15 volunteers for the Orlando Day Nursery's 90th Anniversary Celebration.


What:  ODN is celebrating its 90th Anniversary and holding the 1st Annual All4kids dinner and silent (and live) auction. Master of Ceremonies is former member of the Florida House of Representatives and current radio personality Dick Batchelor. Guest speaker is David Lawrence, the Chair of the Children's Movement of Florida. Mr. Lawrence will be speaking on the importance of early-childhood education. Event sponsors include Disney, Sea World, Florida Hospital, and the Early Childhood Department of UCF.

When: Saturday, November 12 / 6:00 -10:00 pm

Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel on Colonial Drive at the Intersection of I-4 (Downtown Orlando)

Volunteers needed: Volunteers will help to check guests into and out of the event, and will help with the silent auction logistics, such as collecting money and matching bidders with the items they have won. As this is a formal event, we are asking that volunteers wear black pant/skirts and button-down shirts/blouses. (suits, ties, etc. are NOT necessary for volunteers).

Alex Sooley, an EAMBA 17, serves on the non-profit board for Orlando Day Nursery and is Volunteer Coordinator for this event. If you have any questions, contact Alex at asooley@rollins.edu or call him at (407) 415 6648.



ODN is 90 years old, making it the oldest daycare/early-childhood education center in Florida and the 75th oldest in the country. ODN currently serves 116 families daily, and roughly 250 over the course of the year, through its educational childcare services and parenting courses. Many families are from the Paramore district near downtown. The nursery receives much of its funding from grants through organizations such as United Way and state funds such as the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten program, but is increasingly having to rely on private donors. External funding is becoming increasingly important because all families currently served have qualified to receive care at prices below the cost of care, while the cost of care is rising constantly and traditional sources of funding are fading. http://www.orlandodaynursery.org
 
##