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Honolulu, HI--Oct. 19, 2006--Chaminade University of Honolulu announced today that its staff, faculty, alumni and friends have collectively accumulated more than 90,000 hours of community service, far exceeding its golden anniversary 50,000 Hours of Service project expectations. The University will celebrate the accomplishment with a thank-you party for its volunteers in the Ching Conference Center at noon on Thursday, Oct. 26, in anticipation of “National Make a Difference Day” on Saturday, Oct. 28. The public and members of the media are welcome to attend.
Chaminade’s 50th anniversary steering committee organized the project as a way to express the University’s core mission of service. “The service hours emphasize the spirit of Chaminade, which is a spirit of giving,” said Jude Yablonsky, co-chair of the anniversary steering committee.
Chaminade documented more than 70,000 hours of actual community service from its ‘ohana and were joined in the project by Chaminade’s sister Marianist university St. Mary’s in San Antonio, which added another 20,000 service hours. The goal was to encourage faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends to each log at least 50 hours of service from Jan. 1, 2005, to Sept. 16, 2006, and to reach a collective goal of 50,000 hours of documented community service. Though the anniversary year was officially Sept. 15, 2005, to Sept. 16, 2006, the earlier starting point allowed volunteers to count the hours of service accumulated preparing for the 50th anniversary year.
Bro. Tom Spring, project coordinator and former coordinator of Chaminade’s service learning program, was not surprised by the 90,000 hours actually accumulated. From the beginning he insisted that the University would reach its goal of 50,000. “People here are already doing the service,” he said. “The hardest part was getting them to document their hours.” Bro. Spring was frequently seen throughout the year in offices around campus and at special events asking people, “Did you log your hours?”
According to Bro. Spring, the 50,000 Hours of Service project was so successful that many are now considering a yearly service pledge. “The whole idea is to develop a habit of serving,” he said. “Service won’t end here. It is the very foundation of who we are at Chaminade.”
It was an incredible year, but the University anticipates that the best is yet to come.
Celebrating more than 50 years of educating students for life, service and successful careers, Chaminade University offers programs of study grounded in the liberal arts with day, evening, online and accelerated courses. The main campus is located in Kaimuki at 3140 Waialae Ave., Honolulu, HI 96816, with 10 satellite locations around Oahu military bases and Catholic parishes and schools. For more information, visit the Chaminade University Web site at www.chaminade.edu or call (808) 735-4711.
