Hundreds of
students are expected to wield brooms, paintbrushes, and shovels as they take
to the streets of Schenectady on Saturday, Sept. 11,
from 9:30 a.m. to noon, for the 10th annual
John Calvin Toll Day of Community Service.
Students from
the Class of 2008, upperclassmen, College staff and faculty, city leaders and
residents will participate.
This year's
event is dedicated to the memory of those who died in the September
11, 2001
terrorist attacks. Following the clean-up, a tree will be planted near the new
Viniar Sports Complex (adjacent to Memorial Fieldhouse) to honor those in the
“Union family” who died that day. They include five alumni, the husband of a
staff member, and the brother of another staff member.
A number of
parks, municipal buildings, and city-owned properties, are on the list to be
painted, weeded, raked and generally spruced up. Locations include the overpass
bridge at North Jay at Nott Streets, the outdoor areas in front of the police
station and public library on Liberty Street, and the parking lots
by the Schenectady Museum and Amtrak station.
The annual
community service day is named for one of the College's first graduates in
1799. John Calvin Toll Day is supported by Al Hill, a 1946 Union graduate and
his wife, Perrie. Toll was the great-great-grandfather of Hill, a retired
attorney from Buffalo. The Hills created the
fund to encourage Union students to undertake volunteer service.
“Toll Day is a
great collaborative effort between the College and the entire Schenectady community that benefits
everyone involved,” said Gretchel Tyson, Union's community outreach
director. “Students new to Schenectady get to know the city
better, meet new people, and have a good time while providing a valuable
service to the city.”