I have had the pleasure to volunteer for the Ronald McDonald House and Valley Children’s Hospital several times and each time I did, another impact on my life was made. The Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Central Valley serves the families of patients at Valley Children’s Hospital. It is a program that provides families with food and a home to stay in while their loved ones are being taken care of. Continue reading “Ronald McDonald House & Valley Children’s Hospital Carnival”
It’s that time of year again! Mark your calendars for March 8, 2016. It is a day dedicated to the kids at Valley Children’s Hospital, also known as Kids Day. This is the 29th year that thousands of volunteers all across the Central Valley team up with Valley Children’s Hospital, The Fresno Bee, and ABC30 to sell Kids Day edition newspapers to the community. Last year over 1,400 Fresno State students, faculty, and staff participated in this event and raised over $41,000. We are hoping to do our best to exceed these numbers this year.
If you are looking for a way to get involved you can: (1) donate $1 and buy a newspaper around campus, (2) help sell papers by signing up with a student club/organization or as an individual here, or (3) Help spread the word and recruit volunteers by sharing this information with your peers.
Prepare yourself, every year the Richter Center has a friendly competition and recognizes the top-selling student organizations on campus. So the time is now! If you or your organization is interested in taking part be sure and sign up before March 1st. If you have any questions contact Madison at fresnostatekidsday@gmail.com or 559.278.7079
I personally remember getting up early and selling newspapers for my high school a few years ago. It is always so much fun to see how energetic people can be at 5 a.m. especially for such a good cause. I cannot wait to be a part of Fresno State’s Kids Day and see the outcome we will have this year! Let’s get ready to serve, sell, and smile.
How will you contribute to Kids Day 2k16? Do you have an memories from volunteering at this event previously?
~Ambassador Nicole
Each year, the city of Fresno puts on Kids Day as an effort to raise money for Valley Children’s Hospital. This year was a huge success; volunteers Valley-wide raised over $535,000, a new record! The Jan & Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement & Service-Learning organizes the portion of Kids Day where Fresno State students participate. Nearly 2,000 Fresno State students participated this year and raised over $44,000, which is slightly higher than last year and a substantial portion of the grand total! Numerous clubs and organizations participate in this event each year, and it has even become a competition for many of them—especially the fraternities. This year, out of all of the participating fraternities, Sigma Phi Epsilon raised the most money, over $5,000. The other top selling organization was Trabajadores de La Raza, who raised over $1,200.
Kids Day is one of the first community service events I participated in last year, when I was a freshman at Fresno State. Coming from the small town of Hollister, California, I remember thinking how amazing it was that so many people (students and local Fresnans) dedicated so much of their day to raise money for this amazing cause. Some people even start the night before, waiting hours at a corner so that they can hold their spot for the next day. Cora Cha, Fresno State Sophomore and member of the Richter Center SERVE committee, helped organize this event at Fresno State. Cha states,
“Kids Day is much more than raising money for Valley Children’s Hospital. It’s about the unity that brings the community together for the children in the hospital. It reveals the depth of what we can accomplish when we come together and take action.”
Cha’s words represent much of how I feel about Kids Day, and I’m sure many others feel the same. That is why this is such a successful annual event. This year, my role in Kids Day was behind the scenes as I distributed newspapers with my fellow Richter Center Student Leaders to other students. Being a part of this event on both sides of the spectrum was compelling because I got to see how important every role is in order to make an event successful. Seeing both students and the Fresno community come together to raise money for the Valley Children’s Hospital further ignited my passion for volunteerism and community service. I could not be more proud to be an advocate and student leader for community service; I can only hope that even more students were influenced by Kids Day!
What is your favorite annual event? What organization would you want to promote city-wide?
~Ambassador Alex
You too can serve the children and families of Valley Children’s by participating in this year’s Kid’s Day on Tuesday March 3, 2015. You can sell papers, spread the word, and/or buy a paper from students around campus. Hopefully, we will surpass last year and raise even more money! Be a part of this special event, serve your community, and have fun!
It’s not too late! Registration closes February 27th so don’t hesitate! Click to register!
-Ambassador Heather
The Richter Center Student Leaders 