UWF dedicates Community Spirit pathway

A class of University of West Florida students raised $17,762 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida, by offering those who gave $100 or more the chance to put a personal name or brief phrase on an engraved brick. The bricks will create a commemorative pathway at UWF, dedicated to UWF’s commitment to the community.

The Community Spirit walkway will be unveiled in a dedication ceremony April 20 at 4 p.m. near Building 36, which houses the Department of Communication Arts on the UWF campus.

Every year, students in a variety of disciplines sign up for Leadership Communications, a senior-level course in the Department of Communication Arts, designed to develop their leadership skills while contributing to the community.

In the past five years, students in the course have raised a total of $95,000 for local nonprofit agencies, including the Ronald McDonald House, the Boys & Girls Club, the Hope Center for Teens, Hands on Pensacola and others.

“We’re proud to be part of a university that is dedicated to serving the community, and we wanted to pay tribute to that giving spirit,” said Jordan Frazier, a team leader on the project. “We know we’re walking in big footprints, and we love the symbolism of a pathway for those who maintain the tradition once we graduate.”

A central brick in the pathway will read “In Honor of UWF’s Spirit of Service.”

All together, students at UWF contribute between 60,000 and 67,000 hours of community service every year. That is the equivalent of one person working 40 hours a week for more than 30 years for free. This year, the D. W. McMillan Foundation pledged $10,000 toward the students’ fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“An education isn’t just about learning what other people have done,” said Carrie Weimerskirch, a member of the team. “It’s also about being leaders ourselves and making a difference.”

“We are indebted to everyone at UWF and in the community who has contributed,” said Jennifer Sims, co-leader of the class project. “Every donation of any amount makes a difference.”

For more information about the project or ribbon-cutting ceremony, contact Jordan Frazier at 239-450-1393 or jef21@students.uwf.edu.