Media Release - For Immediate Release

December 16 2010

'Tis the Season to Give Back

Members of the Office of the Vice President Academic and Research stand with some of the toys and clothing donated by staff and students during the recent Cool Yule event.

The Christmas Spirit has been evident on campus for the last few weeks as faculty, staff and even students cramming for exams have joined together in a number of ventures that ensure the holidays will be a little happier for the less fortunate.

Some departments, like Procurement, adopted a family and bought everything the family would need for a great Christmas: toys, food and comfort items. Others put together “shoe boxes” for the Missions to Seafarers project which provides gloves and amenities for foreign sailors who are passing through Halifax through the holidays.

Information Technology Services and Support (ITSS) ran a successful toy drive that saw boxes of multi-coloured playthings carted to the Empire Theatre in Bayers Lake for distribution, and the Fist Annual Cool Yule, sponsored by the office of the Vice President Academic and Research drew 70 donations of toys and clothing that have been distributed to Bryony House, a 24 bed shelter for abused women and their children and Adsum for Women and Children, an emergency shelter for homeless and transient women and their children.

A dozen members of the Saint Mary’s Huskies football team pitched in recently as volunteer at the Parker Street Food Bank and Furniture Bank’s annual Christmas Turkey Dinner Hamper Campaign.

“Coming from public housing, I want to give back,” linebacker Jeremy Nichole told a local newspaper. “I know that some people are better off than others and it’s good to come here and help people who are less fortunate than us.”

Dr. David Gauthier, Vice President Academic and Research said he’s not surprised by the generosity he sees.

“Saint Mary’s is a close-knit community with a long history of reaching out the community,” he said. “It is a tradition we are proud of and will continue to instill in students that pass through our door in the future.”

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For More Information:

Steve Proctor
External Affairs
Saint Mary's University
(902) 420.5513
E-mail: steve.proctor@smu.ca
www.smu.ca

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