Spotlight: Service auction helps groups help world

By Erin Mae Szrankowski
Collegian Editor
January 30, 2008

In the upcoming months, 100 students will embark to different places around the world, including Mexico, Tanzania and various spots in the United States to aid others as part of Lasallian service trips. Unsurprisingly, these trips cost money, and the students are basically in charge of raising it (the goal is $90,000). In the past, they have tried bake sales and other numerous fund raising events (and they continue to do such things). However, five years ago they started the annual service trips auction, and it has since become a big part of their fund raising mission. This year’s auction is being held Feb. 7 in the Union Ballroom, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“[People should attend] to support their fellow students, who are doing something that’s not a typical opportunity,” Rebecca Messa, community service coordinator, said. “These students are taking time during spring break, or right after graduation to go into a community and immerse themselves in a community.”

There will be both basket bidding and live auctions at the event. Prizes are numerous and range from a Nintendo Wii package to the chance to rent a beach house in South Carolina or Maryland.

Messa indicated that this year’s prizes have been designed to be student-friendly, so that students will get more out of the event.

Attending the event costs $5 per student (with ID), $15 per person and $25 per family, but all proceeds go to the four service trips, and, by association, to the communities in need they are setting out to help.

These communities are all over the world. Project Appalachia takes fellow classmates to an impoverished region in Harlan Country, Ky. to help low-income families and learn about the conditions they live in. They do “rehab work” on the local residences in order to help their condition of living.

Habitat for Humanity is also staying in the country. This year, Habitat for Humanity is heading to North Carolina for one week to build houses.

Meanwhile, Los Ninos and Project Mapendo are traveling abroad. Los Ninos travels to Tijuana, Mexico for a week to help the local school children, who are crammed into tiny classrooms. In aiding the school expansion effort, Los Ninos mixes concrete with simple instruments (they don’t have the luxury of machines), to build foundations for local schools. Besides working on schools, Los Ninos has also made sidewalks and play areas for the community.

Mapendo goes to Tanzania, where they teach “street children,” or orphans, different art, health and English classes.

szrankowskie11@lasalle.edu