More Than 200 Mavericks Give Back to Community During UTA's Super Service Saturday
By UT Arlington Communications
Posted on September 04, 2019, September 04, 2019

More than 200 Mavericks spent Saturday, August 24, volunteering for nine local charities and nonprofit organizations for Super Service Saturday, part of the annual activities of Maverick Stampede—the official kick-off to the new academic year.

To cap off the first week of the fall semester, students from The University of Texas at Arlington committed their weekend to giving back to the community surrounding campus.

More than 200 Mavericks spent Saturday, August 24, volunteering for nine local charities and nonprofit organizations for Super Service Saturday, part of the annual activities of Maverick Stampede—the official kick-off to the new academic year.

“It’s important for UTA to be responsibly connected to the community we’re within, and Super Service Saturday is a great starter opportunity for our students to recognize service as an option,” said Julian Humphrey-Davis, student development specialist. “We want to invest in our community, and our students can be on the forefront of that.”

Event organizers at the Follett Student Leadership Center say Super Service Saturday helps build momentum for other service-oriented events that follow throughout the school year, such as The Big Event, Alternative Breaks and UTA Volunteers.

Each year, UTA students, staff and faculty contribute about 680,000 combined volunteer hours.

“This is an opportunity for students to start their volunteer relationships early,” Director of Student Activities PK Kelly said. “Many Mavericks graduate and stay in this community, so we want them to be a part of pursuing that greater purpose and serving Arlington and the surrounding areas.”

This year’s Super Service benefitted the following: Friends of OS Gray Natural Area, Sarah’s Bag Ladies, Arlington Historical Society, Arlington native Sandee Reutebuch, La Frontera HOA, City of Arlington Animal Services, The Salvation Army, River Legacy Science Center and Mission Arlington/Mission Metroplex.

More than half of the students who participated in the event were freshmen, with returning students also showing up in droves.

“This is not a one-size-fits-all event,” Humphrey-Davis said. “It draws service-minded students of diverse ages from different organizations and majors.”

Both Humphrey-Davis and Kelly credited the effort of the student leaders in Student Activities and the Leadership Center for spreading awareness and increasing participation by engaging students and generating enthusiasm.

"This event is a great way to start off the school year for students because you get to interact, build relationships and volunteer with communities surrounding UTA,” said Eva Fortson, a senior public health student and student director of Alternative Breaks. “Our volunteers showed up early in the morning ready and were excited to give back to the community.”

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