Students branch out to surrounding neighborhood in Carver Community Day

Erica Terrini

News Editor

About 300 students and community members attended the annual Carver Community Day Saturday. Organizers from the Carver Area Civic Improvement League and student volunteers said the event displayed a great partnership between the Carver Community and VCU.

Jason Snook, a CACIL member-at-large, said the community day began as a health and information fair, but over the past five years it has transformed into a more fun-filled event.

“The community day is just a good opportunity to get folks out,” Snook said. “It’s these types of events that really give people a sense of community and it’s just a good opportunity to collaborate with VCU.”

Two organizational behavior classes from the Ph.D. program within the department of management worked with CACIL members to host the event.

The students from the classes raised more than was needed for the event, said Michael Froede, a project manager for one of the volunteer classes.

“We were really worried about money but we ended up having more than enough,” Froede said. “Everything that hasn’t been used is going back to CACIL.”

The community day offered informational and entertainment activities to attendees including a moon bounce, hay maze, basketball hoop, water balloons, face painting, bead making and food stands.

Jo Ann Calvin, 54, said she has lived in the Carver Community for four years, but this was her first time attending the community day event.

“I try to bring my grandchildren Alex, 8, and Jeremiah, 6, to any type of event they have in the community,” Calvin said. “They enjoy themselves and it’s nice to get out and mingle with the other people and the health information is very useful.”

Other university organizations at the community day event included VCU Police, VCU Americorps and VCU Nursing.