Although Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. died in 1968 on the threshold of some of his greatest achievements, the principles that drove his commitment to civil rights and humanitarian service live on in activities like the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Campbell University students decided to stage their own MLK Day of Service through a campus-wide initiative coordinated by the Multi-Cultural Council. “A day on not off,” described Campbell’s community service program on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Jan. 15. The program included a variety of volunteer activities designed to help people and the community. Among these were blood and bone marrow drives, voter registration drives, visits to nursing home patients, trash cleanup projects, volunteering at local churches, working with children and others. Drs.Vikki Armstrong and Edward Fubara, chair and co-chair of Campbell University’s Multi-Cultural Council which sponsored the event, called the day an outstanding success. “Martin Luther King believed that everybody can be great because everybody can serve,” said Fubara, assistant professor of business at Campbell’s Lundy-Fetterman School of Business. “This philosophy motivated both students and staff and we were very impressed with the results.” Campbell’s volunteer force which totaled approximately 750 hit the ground running on Monday, Jan. 15. A total of 46 units of blood were collected from 64 donors, exceeding the projected goal by 11 units. The bone marrow dive drew the participation of 60 people and a total of 32 white donors and 36 minority donors. Racial make-up is very significant because of the scarcity of minority donors, Fubara said. Forty people turned out to help residents of Harnett and approximately 25 other counties register to vote. “Voting is an important right,” said Armstrong, “and we thought this was an important service.” With additional support from the Bob Barker Company of Fuquay-Varina, members of Campbell’s Physical Plant staff and Campbell students participated in a drive to collect donations for the Harnett County Battered Women’s Shelter, the Cumberland County Homeless Shelter and the Support Our Troops Drive. Approximately 87 people participated in this event. In addition, first-year pharmacy students collected items to send directly to the 82nd Airborne White Falcon unit and raised over $425 to help with the shipping costs. The School of Pharmacy reported approximately 250 volunteer participants. Dr. Karen Smith, an education professor and member of the Multi-Cultural Council, required students in her classes to participate in the volunteer activities as a service/learning opportunity. She conducted reflection sessions for each class—gerontology, sociology and diversity—in order for students to evaluate and process the experience. Several students also attended a balloon animal workshop taught by professor of pharmacy Dr. Bob Cisneros. Cisneros volunteers his time at local nursing home facilities and hospitals to minister to patients with this unusual talent. In the years to come, these students will also be able to use their skills to comfort and entertain the sick and elderly, Cisneros said. A total of 13 students volunteered to work at local churches and many more pledged to serve their neighbors or donate their time to local fire stations, libraries, schools and other organizations. “I think the day worked out really well,” said Fubara. “I look forward to making this into a successful, rewarding event every year.”Photo Copy: Campbell sophomore Brittany Winfrey from Winston-Salem, N.C., gives blood at the Cape Fear Valley mobile Blood Donor Center on the Campbell campus as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service activities. “I’m an O negative and that’s something they really need,” said Winfrey, a pre-pharmacy major. “I felt like this was a good day to volunteer.”
Campbell students perpetuate King’s dream