FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 5, 2020
STEPHENVILLE, Texas — A group of about 30 Tarleton State University students will spend their spring break helping victims of Hurricane Michael as part of the university’s annual Alternative Spring Break.
Again.
Tarleton sent student volunteers last year, too, just a few months removed from Michael’s destructive pounding.
Hurricane Michael struck the Florida Panhandle in October of 2018, becoming the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States since 1992 and leaving a path of destruction from Cuba to the Florida Gulf Coast and Panhandle.
“This year, we will be traveling to Panama City again to continue to serve to those who lost their homes and memories from Hurricane Michael,” said Erin Warner, coordinator of Tarleton’s leadership and service programs. “This trip will be filled with not only an opportunity for students to serve, but to lead and continue to grow in our core values.”
The student volunteers, who each pay their own way to participate, leave Saturday.
“It’s not a glamorous trip,” Warner, said. “Think of it like a church mission trip. They won’t be staying in hotels and they’ll be working, helping others during their spring break.”
Chores include debris removal, environmental cleanup and construction.
“One thing they all enjoy is getting to meet and interact with students from other universities. Last year there were groups from New York, New Jersey and Kansas.”
The Tarleton contingency is comprised of freshmen through graduate students, some of whom have been a part of the last three Alternative Spring Breaks.
Tarleton, founding member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven education marked by academic innovation and a dedication to transform today’s scholars into tomorrow’s leaders. It offers degree programs to more than 13,000 students at Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian, RELLIS Academic Alliance in Bryan, and online, emphasizing real-world learning experiences that address societal needs while maintaining its core values of tradition, integrity, civility, excellence, leadership and service.
Contact: Phil Riddle
817-484-4415
[email protected]
