HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –Students, staff, alumni and community members are getting the opportunity to come out and help support Marshall University.

Marshall University President Brad Smith

The fourth annual Community Cares Week: Giving Back to the Herd kicked off May 20th with landscaping work on Marshall’s Huntington campus. Wednesday, they held landscaping opportunities for kids and a cleaning inside the Memorial Student Center.

MU’s President Brad Smith says that it’s an opportunity for everyone to see how the university gives back.

“It’s an opportunity for the community and alumni to come back to our campus or in their local communities and embrace the herd’s way of giving back,” Smith said.

Director of Business Development for State Electric Supply Company Bill Wymer says that the company has been involved with the week for about three years after the university approached them about the opportunity.

He said that they donate to the university all week.

“We donate our supplies, we donate our workers,” Wymer said. “Our folks can take two and half, three hours to come over and work every year and help support the Marshall community as well as the Huntington community.”

During the first day, volunteers came on campus to help paint dorms, plant flowers and even pressure wash the sidewalks.

Smith said that this week makes the university look better for when the new school year starts.

“It’s a great way to keep our campus beautiful and show that this is the people’s university,” he said.

Wymer says that when they volunteer, they help with whatever needs to be done.

“It’s basically whatever they need,” he said. “Part of our team is planting flowers and doing some mulch, I think I’m the only guy that’s over here with a pressure washer.”

A list of events left is as followed:

· Thursday 9 a.m. – Painting at Joan C. Edwards Stadium

· Thursday 1 p.m. – Painting in Drinko Library, Room 402

· Friday 9 a.m. – Painting inside Gibson Hall

Smith says that he loves the impact that it has on people who volunteer.

“I love when I see someone plant a flower and come back the next year and say I planted that flower, they show a family member, they take ownership of the university because we are Marshall,” he said.

Along with campus events they also non-main campus events:

· Mid-Ohio Valley Center: Thursday 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

· Project HOPE: Thursday 9 a.m.

Anyone who is wanting to register to volunteer can still do so by visiting the information desk located in the Memorial Student Center prior to any of the 9 or one o’clock work sessions.

For more information you can visit MU’s website here.