Record Number of Students, Alumni, Faculty and Staff to Participate in ‘Holy Cross Cares Day’

WORCESTER, Mass. – More than 350 Holy Cross students, alumni, faculty and staff will take part in the annual "Holy Cross Cares Day" on Saturday, April 2 - the most volunteers ever to have signed up in the program’s eight-year history.

Showing their appreciation for the Worcester community, participants will spend the day performing service-oriented activities, such as painting at several Worcester community centers, raking vacant lots, picking up trash and spending time with young people and homeless families.

The day begins at 9:30 a.m., with breakfast and brief remarks by Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J., Holy Cross president. The keynote speaker for this year’s event is Rev. John Madden ’80 who presides at St. John’s Church in Worcester. He worked at a Catholic Worker House in New York City. He is a former principal of St. Peter Marian High School in Worcester.

At 10 a.m., buses will transport participants to numerous sites around the city. Participants will work all day and return to Holy Cross shortly after 1 p.m. for lunch.

Among the 27 sites - also the highest number since the program’s inception - slated to be part of "Holy Cross Cares Day" are:

Girls Inc. Lincoln House Contact: Rye Archibald 508-752-6075 67 Lincoln St., Worcester Volunteers: 30 Project: Painting and cleaning Site Leader: Sony Kuhn ’06 / Allie Hayes ’06

Rape Crisis Center Contact: Heidi Loubuff 508-852-1271 799 W. Boylston Dr., Worcester Volunteers: 25 Project: Painting Site Leader: Gideon Akande ’06

Worcester Youth Center Contact: Manny or Keesha 508-791-4702 27 Chandler St., Worcester Volunteers: 19 Project: Lifting lumber and painting Site Leader: Joe Mantovani ’06

Centro Las Americas Contact: Luz Colon-Rodriguez 508-798-1906 11 Sycamore St., Worcester Volunteers: 10 Project: Painting and moving furniture Site Leader: Katie Goodfellow ’05

Nazareth Boys House Contact: Sr. Janet 508-892-8736 77 Mulberry, Leicester Volunteers: 15 Project: Playing with kids Site Leader: Nick Gillman ’05

Reporters and photographers are welcome to attend any of the above indoor sites between the hours of 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, please contact Mary Beth Ryan ’05, co-chair of the event, at 508-612-7359 (cell) or meryan@holycross.edu.