Peacock community volunteers prepared for Fayette Appreciation Day

Upper Iowa University students, faculty and staff will be joined by other local volunteers in giving their time to approximately 40 unique service projects in Fayette and West Union during the 12^th Annual Fayette Appreciation Day on Wednesday, April 18.

Since being established over a decade ago, over 4,500 UIU volunteers have completed more than 400 service projects during Fayette Appreciation Day. The event has been recognized locally and nationally, receiving awards from the State of Iowa Governor’s Service Awards and President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

With the focus once again being on projects that affect the greater community, this year’s participants can choose to help with a variety of volunteer efforts at local schools, daycare centers, athletic facilities, parks, Fayette County Food Shelf, or landscaping and general community cleanup projects in the surrounding area.

Peacocks for Progress chairpersons Hannah Dotter, a junior environmental science major from Bloomington, Minnesota, and Julia Szepieniec, a sophomore biology major from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, are among those leading the volunteer effort.

“Julia and I have both volunteered to help during Fayette Appreciation Day since our freshmen years at UIU,” Dotter said. “We have been fortunate to work with many tremendous community members and fellow Peacocks throughout the planning process for this year’s event. The anticipation continues to grow as the teams of volunteers express their dedication and excitement for Fayette Appreciation Day 2018.”

“Fayette Appreciation Day provides everyone an opportunity to demonstrate their Peacock pride and show their gratitude for the entire community,” Szepieniec added. “The diversity of the projects allows individuals to contribute their time and various talents.”

The 2018 Fayette Appreciation Day activities begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday, April 18. The annual event concludes with a volunteer celebration and noon lunch outside the UIU Student Center. In the case of inclement weather, some volunteer projects may be postponed to a different date as determined by the individual project leader. However, the Fayette Appreciation Day celebration will continue with activities moved inside the Student Center.

For additional information about Fayette Appreciation Day 2018 projects and to register to volunteer, contact Dotter at dotterh71@peacocks.uiu.edu or Szepieniec at szepieniecj12@peacocks.uiu.edu.