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Stampeding To Help Others

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By LENORA LAKE, Tribune correspondent

Published: January 20, 2008

TAMPA - Ryan Saldanha spent Saturday with his college fraternity brothers pulling a toilet, a laptop computer, a bed, beer bottles, baby shoes and other debris from under bushes in a park near the University of South Florida.

He was one of more than 2,000 USF students spending a day of volunteering at more than 40 sites throughout Hillsborough County. They fanned out to pick up trash, paint buildings, plant gardens, pack boxes of donated food and clothing, play with children or spend time with elderly residents of senior centers.

Known as the Stampede of Service, the third annual event offered students an opportunity to give their time and skills to the community at locations such as Lowry Park Zoo, the Child Abuse Council, Metropolitan Ministries and Hope Children's Home.

Saldanha was among about 30 students, most of them members of Delta Epsilon Psi fraternity, Phi Delta Theta fraternity and Alpha Delta Pi sorority, assigned to the University Area park property of Youth Empowered to Achieve! The nonprofit organization, known as YEA!, teaches computer, entrepreneurial skills and business etiquette to children.

"I hope this wasn't someone's home," said Saldanha, 20, in a tone mixed with humor and seriousness as he pulled trash from the bushes. A member of the Delta Epsilon Psi service fraternity, he labored in the Saturday morning mist and fog as he helped bag the debris.

"People don't respect garbage cans. And the disturbing thing is that there is glass everywhere," said the accounting major from St. Petersburg.

University officials hope to instill in the students a belief in helping others and a commitment to the community by providing local nonprofits a one-day workforce for some special or ongoing projects. Many sites received 100 or more volunteers.

USF President Judy Genshaft stood under an umbrella in an early morning drizzle to send off the students, armed with muffins, water and Stampede T-shirts. The 9 a.m. pep rally included the school band, Rocky the Bull mascot and student leaders. The participants returned to the area early in the afternoon for a picnic and music.

"This is what student life is all about," said Genshaft in an interview. "This is what a university in a metropolitan area is all about - helping the community."

At YEA!, students also planted plants and fought with fire ants that had invaded the pile of mulch waiting to be spread.

Zach Perry, 20, a member of Phi Delta Theta and a sophomore from New Port Richey majoring in public relations, said he wanted the mulching job "because I enjoy physical labor."

The fraternity earns points by participating in the Stampede in a Greek Week competition, said Phi Delta Theta member Chris Walksler, a 20-year-old engineering major from North Port.

"This way we can show support for our fraternity and the community," Walksler said.

The USF Stampede of Service began in 2006 as an outgrowth of Maxon Victor's campaign for student government president, said Amy Simon of the USF Center for Civic Engagement, which coordinates the event with student government. That event focused mainly on East Tampa and the university area. Since then, the Stampede has continued to expand with a student committee formed in the spring to prepare for the next year.

"His campaign was to create a large day of service," Simon said, adding that it was tied to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Agatha Skerritt, director of YEA!, said she was thrilled with the 30 students assigned to her site.

"I'm impressed. They were here on time and they all seemed very enthused. And it's not the best weather," Skerritt said. "My hope is some will be encouraged to come back and be volunteers with us."

Correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 865-4851 or llake@tampatrib.com.

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