Spring Break often connotes college students laying on beaches or four-wheeling in Moab. But for some students at the U, Spring Break means service.
Through the Alternative Spring Break program, students?such as junior Jonathan Ching?travel to various locations and provide services ranging from feeding the homeless to volunteering at an AIDS clinic.
The trips are offered at a low cost to the student, and the Bennion Community Service Center, Student Health Service and the Alcohol and Drug Education Center help sponsor the trips. However, financing the trips depend a great deal on private donations and a subsidy from the student government.
“The trips are usually about double the cost of what we charge,” said Ching, a student coordinator for Alternative Spring Break. “The student pays about half and then we’re responsible for coming up with the rest in donations.”
In order to get more donations, the Bennion Center is hosting a fund-raising fair tonight in the Union Ballroom from 7 to 11 p.m.
“Last year we raised $1,400, and we’re hoping to double that this year,” said Curt Larsen, program manager at the Bennion Center.
The fair will feature 9-hole miniature golf, giant Twister, a Dr. Seuss reading room, inflatable joust and a DJ.
Students, faculty and staff with tickets are eligible for door prizes, which will be given out all night.
“It should be a lot of fun for the general public,” Larsen said.
The trips offered this year range from Washington, D.C., to Colorado. Because of the length of this year’s Spring Break, the trips are different from past years.
“This year, we’re flying to most of the places and the trips are leaving at different times,” Ching said. “The trips are going to be longer, too.”
Although most of the spots are filled, a few are still available.
For more information, contact the Bennion Center at 581-4811. Tickets are available at the Bennion Center, Student Health Service and the Alcohol and Drug Education Center for $3 in advance or $5 at the door.