TUCSON, Arizona -- For more than 10 years, the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management has worked to unite past, present and future Wildcats with the Tucson community to encourage volunteerism and evoke change through Eller Make A Difference Day, an event spearheaded by Business Management seniors in the college. This year, the two-day event takes place on Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20, and is expected to draw over 1,000 volunteers to help beautify and improve the community of Tucson for its residents.
To execute Eller Make A Difference Day, the Eller College partners with United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, as well as other community organizations to provide volunteer services that include school beautification, such as building gardens, cleaning and organizing; street clean up; spending time with residents at St. Luke’s Assisted Living Community; and helping other organizations prepare for events such as the All Souls Procession of Angels, and the Tucson Classics Car Show — a Rotary Club of Tucson fundraiser. For those that enjoy working with children and animals, the Therapeutic Ranch for Animals and Kids, and Pima Animal Care Center are also among the organizations that will be receiving volunteer services during Eller Make a Difference Day.
On both days at 9:00 a.m., the event kicks off in McClelland Hall, home of the Eller College of Management, where participants can check-in, pick up their volunteer t-shirt and then enjoy breakfast and a lively pep rally including music and team pictures. At 9:45 a.m. volunteers depart to their assignments where they will typically assist until 1:00 p.m. each afternoon.
Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends are encouraged to volunteer their time with the Make A Difference Day event, and can register atEllerMakeADifference.com. Donations can also be made toward the cause on this site. For more information, email the student managers at ellermaddteam@gmail.com.
Who: More than 1,000 University of Arizona students from all grade levels and community volunteers. The majority of volunteers are students and alumni from the UA’s Eller College of Management. The volunteers will be helping 32 local non-profit organizations.
What: Eller Make A Difference Day 2018
When: Best window for visuals/interviews: Friday 10/19 and Saturday 10/20 between 10am and 1 pm, both days, at the volunteer sites.
- Friday, October 19
- Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace – Mission Garden 946 W. Mission Lane, Tucson, AZ 85745
Activity: Volunteers will help to beautify gardens that represent over 4,000 years of continuous cultivation in the Tucson basin.
- GAP Ministries – Bicycle Repair 2861 N. Flowing Wells Rd., Tucson, AZ 85705
Activity: Volunteers will help to clean, assemble, and repair 25 bicycles for foster children to create feelings of love, honor, and normalcy for the children served by GAP Ministries foster services.
Saturday, October 20
- Borton Elementary School 700 E. 22nd St., Tucson, AZ 85713
Activity: Volunteers will work to beautify school gardens and courtyard spaces by cleanup, painting, and construction efforts.
- Therapeutic Ranch for Animals and Kids (TRAK) 3250 E. Allen Rd., Tucson, AZ 85718
Activity: Volunteers will help prepare the TRAK ranch for their annual fundraiser event. This will include ranch cleanup, equipment setup, and helping the animals to prepare for the event.
- St. Mark’s Pre-School and Kindergarten 3809 E. 3rd St., Tucson, AZ 85716
Activity: Volunteers will beautify classroom and playground spaces through sanding, painting, wood staining, and general clean up and construction.
- Pima Animal Care Center (EARLY ENGAGEMENT – 7:30 am to 9:30 am)
4000 N. Silverbell Rd., Tucson, AZ 85745
Activity: Volunteers will walk shelter dogs to provide enrichment and engagement for the animals under the shelter’s care.
Date: Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Eller College at the University of Arizona, 1130 E. Helen St., Tucson, 85721 and locations indicated above.