Hurst cares for kids during the giving season

Erin Almeter, Staff writer

Caring For Kids, an annual campaign to help raise funds for local children’s hospitals, has started up once again. Parkhurst at Mercyhurst, along with all other branches, will be collecting and holding events until the end of the semester to help with fundraising.

The Caring for Kids campaign was started in 1979 by a small group of team members and has been growing ever since according to the Parkhurst Dining website. More than 15 children’s hospitals benefit from the generosity of Parkhurst. Over these years, Parkhurst and their team members, including Mercyhurst, have raised over $10.5 million. Mercyhurst’s Parkhurst has once again put together their Chinese auction.

At Grotto Commons, students, faculty and staff can buy auction tickets. People can see exactly what they are putting their tickets into and figure out their chances of winning based on how many other tickets are in the basket. In addition to the Chinese auction, Parkhurst is selling smiley face chocolates for just $1 at the bookstore, The Roost, Anchor Express, 501 Grille, and Grotto Commons.

With a purchase of the chocolate, you are given the chance to write your name on one of the beloved Eat’n’Park Christmas trees to be recognized for your donation. They also recently had a pop-up hot chocolate bar for students, sign-ups for a NBA 2K20 Tournament Fundraiser and a Celebrity Bartending Event where Sarah Allen, Megan McKenna, Abby Staub, Benjamin Scharff, Ph.D., and Matthew Weaver, Ph.D. competed to see who could raise the most tips for the campaign.

These events show that different fundraising events can interest a wide variety of individuals to participate. There appears to be a lot of support coming from students, faculty, and staff alike according to the Bookstore Coffee Bar Parkhurst team members. Parkhurst encourages all to continue to donate during this holiday season!