Education

Hundreds of UK students spend day volunteering in Lexington

By Linda Blackford

lblackford@herald-leader.com
Greg Watts, a junior from Pittsburg, tossed a pitchfork of mulch around a tree branch as part of the University of Kentucky’s annual FUSION at The Arboretum State Botanical Garden of Kentucky on Alumni Drive in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, August 23, 2016. The 30 students who volunteered at the Arboretum were part of the more than 1,000 students spread out over the community to be involved with FUSION, Kentucky’s largest single-day of service. Students had the opportunity to serve the Lexington community for three hours, connect with peers and learn about other community service opportunities both on campus and in the surrounding community.
Greg Watts, a junior from Pittsburg, tossed a pitchfork of mulch around a tree branch as part of the University of Kentucky’s annual FUSION at The Arboretum State Botanical Garden of Kentucky on Alumni Drive in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, August 23, 2016. The 30 students who volunteered at the Arboretum were part of the more than 1,000 students spread out over the community to be involved with FUSION, Kentucky’s largest single-day of service. Students had the opportunity to serve the Lexington community for three hours, connect with peers and learn about other community service opportunities both on campus and in the surrounding community. Charles Bertram cbertram@herald-leader.com

The day before classes start at the University of Kentucky means a day of volunteerism for hundreds of students. UK Fusion kicked off Tuesday morning, sending students, staff and faculty to work in neighborhoods all over Lexington. Students volunteered at the Arboretum, community gardens, children’s organizations, and food pantries, among others.

“Fusion has given me a chance to spend several hours serving my community, learn about dozens of nonprofit agencies in Lexington and become a leader on campus,” said Fusion Director Shannon O’Hara. “Fusion is my favorite event during K Week because I love seeing incoming students making connections with their new peers while doing amazing things for our community.”

UK Fusion is run through the UK Center for Community Outreach, which also organizes Alternative Service Breaks, the DanceBlue fundraiser and the Big Blue Pantry, a campus food pantry.

This story was originally published August 23, 2016 at 4:31 PM with the headline "Hundreds of UK students spend day volunteering in Lexington."

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