On Saturday morning, scores of NKU students met in the University Center Ballroom to be deployed for the annual MLK Day of Service, hosted by African American Student Initiatives (AASI) and the Center for Student Engagement. Over 200 volunteers registered for the event, which aimed to serve the greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
There were a total of 18 groups of volunteers, varying in size and organization affiliation. These groups were sent to different locations nearby to serve the community in various ways.
Group five, composed of nine student volunteers, was dispatched to the Campbell County YMCA branch in Ft. Thomas. This group, made up entirely of Delta Zeta sorority members and affiliates, helped to clean the exercise facilities and equipment at the YMCA.
Nick Heiss, small groups director for the Campbell County YMCA and a 2004 NKU alumnus, oversaw the group and their cleaning.
“Happy to have some volunteers from NKU to help out today,” Heiss said. “The YMCA really values our volunteers.”
When asked why the event was meaningful for her and her sorority, Isabella Rice, a sophomore psychology major and member of Delta Zeta, said it was about “just being able to help and give back to our community.”
“This is my way of giving back,” said Luc Vandenbroek, a sophomore musical theater major and volunteer with group five.
Group four, consisting of more than 30 people, volunteered for the Cincinnati Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired (CABVI). They filled out and labeled donation mailers to raise money for CABVI’s services.
The MLK Day of Service was one of the four events in this year’s MLK Celebration hosted by AASI.