VT ENGAGE gets 400,000+ hours of community service

WSLS News Staff
Published: April 16, 2008

A public service campaign to honor the memories of those killed on April 16th exceeds its orginal goal.

Virginia Tech says its VT ENGAGE program has received pledges for more than 400,000 hours of community service, and more than 200,000 of those hours have already been served.  VT ENGAGE’s original goal was 300,000 hours.

The program is the brainchild of Tech professor Bryan Cloyd and his wife Renee.  The couple lost their daughter Austin in the April 16th tragedy.  According to a news release, “The Cloyd’s said they wanted to honor their daughter’s memory by organizing volunteers for her favorite charity, Appalachian Service Project, and simultaneously express their grief in a way that would benefit society.  They say they thought such service would help the university to heal in the aftermath of the tragedy.“

Click here to read more about Austin Cloyd

Virginia Tech officially began the program on October 16th, 2007, the six-month anniversary of the April 16th tragedy.  The program ends on May 8th.

You can pledge and record your service on the VT ENGAGE website: http://www.engage.vt.edu.  The university plans to announce the total number of hours pledged and served for the year during Spring commencement on May 9th.  The school challenged the university community to contribute at least ten hours of community service per person during the school year.

“Volunteerism has always been a big part of life for the Virginia Tech community,“ said Senior Vice President and Provost Mark McNamee, in the news release. “We hope the ongoing VT-ENGAGE initiative will strengthen this aspect of the university’s character and help us continue to attract talented students who care about their communities.“