Forty local and non-profit organizations in the Baton Rouge community represented their services at the student volunteer fair in the student union on Thursday. Volunteer events, opportunities, and contact information was available for interested students. The organizations were varied, ranging from Child Advocacy Services to events on campus, such as Volunteer LSU, the campus volunteer organization.
            Special events coordinator for Volunteer LSU Brionne Stewart said there were 270 students that attended the volunteer fair. “Out of the 270 students, 107 of them were freshmen, so it seems the freshmen class is eager to get involved in service,” said Stewart.
            Most volunteer services sponsor events on campus during the year, such as sports games and races, like Relay for Life, which is an overnight fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.
            At Relay for Life, teams of people camp out at a park or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track. The length of an event is up to 24 hours. This is the sixth year that Relay for Life has been active on LSU campus (relayforlife.org/lsu).
            Volunteer LSU was created a year after Hurricane Katrina. This organization promotes and creates volunteer opportunities and builds partnerships with the Baton Rouge community (volunteer.lsu.edu). Interested students can contact [email protected] for more information on joining and participating in events.
            Big Buddy Program was founded on the LSU campus as a psychology project in 1979 to help mentor and tutor young children, sponsor weekend activities and provide an adult role model for the youth (bigbuddyprogram.org). A representative for Big Buddy Program says some workers at the program are past graduates of the university, and they are always looking for new student volunteers. Mentor applications are available online at www.bigbuddyprogram.org.
            Komen for the Cure is a network of 122 affiliate offices across America. Nancy Komen founded it in 1982 for her sister, Susan, who lost her battle to the disease (komenbatonrouge.org). The Baton Rouge affiliate of Komen for the Cure sponsors events for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, such as Bowl for the Cure, where teams can get together to bowl at All-Star Lanes, and play for door prizes.
            Volunteer chair Angela Miller says that she is looking for ways to expand awareness on campus, such as the breast cancer women’s basketball game, volleyball game and gymnastics meet during the year. “Anything the students can do to help, even if its just for one day, we need your assistance,” Miller said. Interested students can visit www.komen.batonrouge.org or contact Angela Miller at [email protected].
            Another organization that is looking for student volunteers is BREC, Baton Rouge Recreation and park. BREC provides recreational activities for the citizens of East Baton Rouge Parish and has tons of volunteer opportunities. This includes activities at the zoo, coaching sports leagues, and community events like BREC-A-BOO in October (brec.org). Lauren Joerg, a volunteer coordinator at BREC, graduated last year from LSU. “We accept volunteer ideas, clubs that want to come and volunteer, or just a group of friends that feel like giving back to the community,” Joerg said. “Our schedules are flexible, so you can come once a year or once a week, just do what you can and we’ll be happy to have you.”
            Anyone interested in participating in BREC activities can contact [email protected] or visit the website, www.brec.org.
            Career Services and Volunteer LSU sponsor the student volunteer fair.