Building Community
Saturday, September 21 was a special day as Randall University students volunteered in two events serving the broader community.
Building on Faith - Buddy Benches
In the morning, Randall hosted the "Building on Faith" event in which 100+ volunteers from several different churches in the Moore/Norman communities came together to build "Buddy Benches" for several local elementary school playgrounds. This is part of an anti-bullying campaign sponsored by the Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity, Thrivent, and the University of Oklahoma. Heavy rains did not deter the project—rather than building the benches at various outdoor locations as planned, Randall offered our space for building throughout the morning. The benches will later be delivered to local schools and the City of Norman will follow up with planting trees next to the benches. Finally, University of Oklahoma students, as a part of their class curriculum, will teach the students about anti-bullying and how to use the Buddy Benches.
Big Wheel Nationals
Later in the day, another group of Randall students volunteered at the "Big Wheel Nationals" sponsored by the City of Moore Parks & Recreation Department. This fun event put children (ages 4-8) in a drag-strip style race to see who's the fastest speed demon on three wheels! Randall students helped with various aspects of the event and even got to sponsor their own RU Big Wheel!
Both events were part of Randall University's Engage program—our community engagement ministry that provides service-learning and community service opportunities for students with the goal of growing in Christ, connecting with others, and serving all people. We have lots of volunteer opportunities available!
Want to learn more about ENGAGE, Randall's Community Engagement Ministry? Contact Lauren Childers, Coordinator of Community Engagement, at lchilders@ru.edu or 405-912-9040.
