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HAVOC Holiday Spectacular
HAVOC Holiday Spectacular
The media relations office has collected a sampling of stories about the Hamilton College community's involvement in projects focused on making the holidays happier for others. We know that we may have missed some good stories of selfless giving, but we hope you enjoy those that we have gathered.

THE HOLIDAY PROJECT
The Holiday Project: The Holiday Project, an undertaking organized by a group of private individuals working with area nonprofit entities for more than 30 years, ensures that needy families are able to enjoy the holidays. Each year, local agencies from around the greater Utica area nominate families who could use a little help getting through the holidays. For the most part, these families have fallen on hard times through illness or the loss of a job or a spouse and may not qualify for more traditional assistance programs. Local grocers and charities donate food and those who adopt a family donate gifts. Several departments at Hamilton have adopted families this year through this program.

  • "Team Siuda," members of the Admission and Financial Aid office, contributed money to a collection used to purchase gifts on the family's wish list. In addition, the team also gathered extra donations of food and other items for the family, wrapped the purchased gifts, and delivered a full carload to the center.
  • Chemistry professor Robin Kinnel and his wife Anne participated in the New Hartford Methodist Church's collection for another Holiday Project family, assembling, packaging and delivering food and donations.
  • For well over a decade, the members of the Information Technology Services department have participated in the Holiday Project. This year they were especially pleased to help one of Hamilton's own. The adopted family is headed by a single parent with three children who began her path toward earning a college degree through participation in the Hamilton Access Project. She completed her bachelor's degree at Utica College and hoped to pursue a career when a family member became ill and required care. In a previous year, the department helped a family of two elderly twin sisters, one of whom was the widow of an artist who was once associated with the College.
  • Amy James in the Dean of Students Office spearheaded another initiative to support two Holiday Project families. Hamilton employees purchased gifts, selected from a listing on the Hamilton Web site, for 15 children and one adult.
  • The Bonner Leaders, students who make a two-year commitment to work with a single community organization, baked 70 dozen cookies for the Holiday Project with the Levitt Center's Judy Owens-Manley.
  • The women's soccer team also donated funds for another Holiday Project family.
  • The Levitt Center, together with other faculty members in the Kirner-Johnson Building, adopted a family and bought and delivered gifts to them. This is the fourth year that the Levitt Center has adopted a family.
HOUSE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
HAVOC created a "Mitten Tree" through which members collected gifts from students and employees for children at the House of the Good Shepherd and children referred by Hospice who had lost a parent during the past year.

As a master gardener with Cornell Cooperative Extension, ITS' Maureen Scoones works with the children residing in the House of the Good Shepherd's Schafer Resident treatment facility throughout the year. During the holidays, she makes ornaments and other decorations with them, sometimes with a garden theme.

NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER – UTICA
HAVOC members and 15 volunteers from the Hamilton campus also hosted the "Holiday Spectacular," a party on campus for 30 children from the Neighborhood Center. The group made holiday crafts and gifts for the children's families and went sledding. The X-Viper Hour also conducted a workshop with the children, and they put together a radio broadcast for the following day. X-Viper Hour also performed The Grinch.

PRESBYTERIAN HOME
Pam Havens in the Communications and Development Office lead a group of Girl Scouts in making dozens of greeting cards for the residents of the Presbyterian Home.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES
Members of the President's Office agreed some time ago to take whatever money they would have spent on each other to purchase gifts for those less fortunate. As part of this annual tradition, they pool funds, spend a few hours shopping and then deliver unwrapped gifts to Catholic Charities. The organization sorts the items with other donations and provides an opportunity for pre-screened families in need to "shop" for their loved ones. This year Catholic Charities anticipates assisting 300 families.

STITTVILLE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Members of the Communications and Development Office collected funds with which they purchased gifts for a needy family identified by the Stittville United Methodist Church. The family, a single parent and four children, will receive gifts as well as food from the office.

OTHER CHURCHES
The members of the Physical Plant worked with two churches, one in Deansboro and one in Clayville, providing more than 55 gifts and new clothing items for children 12 and under.

WATERVILLE, CLARKS MILL and VERNON FOOD PANTRY
A group of Burke Library workers collected gloves, mittens and scarves for the Waterville Pantry's Christmas Giving program. They have engaged in this project for at least the last three years. They also collected food for the Waterville, Clark Mills and Vernon Food Pantries.

TROOPS IN IRAQ
A new student organization, Hamilton College Supports the Troops, formed in November to gather care packages for American troops serving abroad. Horticultural grounds worker John Gates and his platoon of 40 men serving in Iraq will be the recipients of care packages collected and sent by students.

CAMBODIAN SCHOOL PROJECT
Sparked by an article on the plight of poor children in Cambodia, a small group of Hamilton College employees and other local community members began a fund-raising drive a year ago to build a school for Cambodian children. Through a series of bike races and garage and bake sales, more than $10,000 has been raised, leaving approximately $2,500 of the required $13,000 yet to be collected to build a school. To meet their goal, the group organized a community holiday concert and sing-along and bake sale on Saturday, Dec. 22 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Kirkland Art Center. Hamilton College employee concert performers include Amy James, David and Leslie Bell, Lisa Magnarelli, Jeff McArn and Nancy Thompson.

COMMUNITY FOOD BANK of GREATER UTICA
Amy Lindner, in the Communication and Development Office, continued her multi-year involvement with the Community Food Bank of Greater Utica, assisting in the organization's recent telethon food drive as well as continuing to collect donations in the office.

HOPE HOUSE
The Student Assembly's Social Traditions Committee, working with Hamilton's athletic department and alumni office, Hamilton Point Investment Advisors and the Clinton Chamber of Commerce, gathered more than 900 cans of food and more than $100 for Hope House at the second annual Hockeytown game on Dec. 4.

Kazoo vendors
Kazoo Vendors
CAMP GOOD DAYS and SPECIAL TIMES
During the holidays, Camp Good Days and Special Times, a camp for children with
ancer located on Keuka Lake, holds its biggest fundraiser of the year, Kazoofest. This year, ITS' Maureen Scoones and her niece Jessica and ITS' Janet Simons with her daughter Adele spent an afternoon at Carousel Mall selling kazoos. The proceeds allow children to attend camp at no charge. At last count, the foursome had raised more money during a four-hour shift at Carousel than any other group - nearly $1000!


OPERATION SUNSHINE
The Dean of Faculty's Office made a donation to Operation Sunshine rather than exchange gifts within the office. Donations totaled $350!

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