Hands On Charlotte Day 2001

May 19, 2001: The One Day that Makes the Other 364 Possible

With over 2,500 participants working on 80 community improvement projects, Hands on Charlotte Day (HOC) is the city’s largest single-day service event. The Charlotte Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association participated for its second year, taking ownership of its own specific project for the first time. Participation eclipsed last year’s mark, with ten Penn Staters in attendance.

The alumni team met early Saturday morning for the Hands on Charlotte opening ceremony at Marshall Park. The team gobbled down Krispy Kreme donuts anticipating the challenging work ahead. The Penn State Team was assigned to Cordelia Park just north of downtown Charlotte. When the team arrived at the Park, a Hands on Charlotte project coordinator met with them. He explained the jobs that needed to be completed, including picking up trash, painting, and raking in different areas of the park. The group was anxious to get started and worked together on trash detail, walking the entire park picking up EVERYTHING imaginable. After a quick break, the team began raking and painting in smaller teams. The Penn Staters worked for a total of four hours before taking a final walk around the park to admire their hard work.

The team headed back to Marshall Park and enjoyed a catered lunch by Outback Steakhouse. Live music filled the air as the team enjoyed a hearty meal after a morning of exertion. By 2:30pm, the team said their good-byes and went home feeling the satisfaction of helping others and the community.

Mission Accomplished!

- Brian Diehl ‘96