About 750 Columbus State University students and employees are expected to fan out across the Chattahoochee Valley Saturday for CSU’s annual Day of Service.
 
The event is one of CSU’s signature back-to-school events, and is designed to connect faculty, staff and students with each other and with that community that has supported its university so significantly since even before it was founded in 1958. Volunteers will work on projects in Columbus, Phenix City, and Harris County.
 
Last year 615 people turned out for the event, which started in 2008. That total was a record, but looks to be eclipsed this year with about 750 people signed up.
 
“Day of Service is CSU’s way of kicking off the school year the right way - by giving back to the our community,” said Anne Brown, Community Outreach Advisor and organizer of the annual day of service. “It is yet another way for our students to connect with friends and faculty while using their skills to make a meaningful impact at these organizations.”

Volunteers will gather about 8 a.m. on Saturday at the Mock Pavilion at CSU’s intramural field. After checking in, people will be divided into groups and load buses headed to about 30 different locations across the city.

CSU President Chris Markwood will be participating again and will volunteer with his family at Feeding the Valley.

“This annual event is a great way to give back to the community, and it models our values of partnership and servant leadership,” Markwood said. “I’m especially excited this year to be at Feeding the Valley because they have done so much for CSU through our campus Food Pantry and educating our students on the local level about adequate access to nutritional items.”
 
Some of the locations that will host CSU volunteers Saturday onsite from about 9 a.m. to noon include:
 
·         CSU’s Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center, 3535 South Lumpkin Road

·         Feeding the Valley, 6744 Flat Rock Road

·         House of Heroes, 1721 Elvan Ave.

·         Historic Columbus , 2nd Ave. clean-up

·         Columbus Dream Center, 4114 Oates Ave.

·         Columbus Botanical Garden, 3603 Weems Road

·         The Columbus Museum, 1251 Wynnton Road

·         The Salvation Army, 615 Manchester Expressway