Cleaning up the Wekiva River, building houses and painting a school auditorium will be among the many ways UCF students, staff and faculty members and alumni will give back to the community on Saturday, Oct. 9.
About 800 volunteers have signed up to participate in Knights Give Back, UCF’s annual campuswide day of service. They will work from about 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at more than a dozen sites in Orange, Seminole, Volusia and Brevard counties.
Since the tradition began in 2007, UCF volunteers have provided nearly 3,500 hours of service on behalf of social services, the arts, the environment and other causes.
“Each year we seek to include more sites that will create a fun and enriching experience for our volunteers,” said Marlon Gutierrez, a senior business major and the student director for Volunteer UCF, which coordinates Knights Give Back.
Volunteers this year will:
— Canoe and clean the Wekiva River.
— Clean and paint the auditorium at the Chiles Academy, a public charter school for pregnant and parenting teens in Volusia County.
— Play sports with youths served by Boys Town Central Florida. Most of the volunteers in this group will be UCF student-athletes.
— Help Pet Rescue With Judy coordinate a pet adoption fair at Waterford Lakes.
— Build homes with Habitat for Humanity in Cocoa.
Knights Give Back promotes civic engagement while building partnerships and making a difference in the Central Florida community. It is sponsored by the Student Government Association, Volunteer UCF and the Office of Student Involvement.