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ÂÒÂ×ÊÓÆµ spends Saturday giving back to Erie and Ruskin communities

Published: 09/23/2025

GIVE Day Sept. 20, 2025

More than 1,000 ÂÒÂ×ÊÓÆµ students, faculty and staff across dozens of sites in two states ventured into their communities to provide service on Saturday, Sept. 20. 

The annual ÂÒÂ×ÊÓÆµ Invitation to Volunteer Everywhere (GIVE) Day is celebrated at both Erie and Ruskin campuses. The activities began at 8 a.m. for the Erie campus in the Highmark Events Center with a rally to help send off the volunteers into the community. The rally included a special performance from ÂÒÂ×ÊÓÆµ’s Competitive Cheer and Dance team.  

Participants volunteered at their designated location from 9 a.m. until noon, assisting with projects assigned by the site coordinator. In Ruskin, the volunteers headed right for their assigned location at 9 a.m. and began their service. 

This collective day of service is in collaboration with more than nearly 30 community partners, and participants volunteered at 34 different locations across Erie County. They helped with projects such as trash cleanup on the beaches of Presque Isle State Park, as well as the Erie Bluffs State Park, to assisting the Hope on Horseback organization in Waterford and keeping the Downtown Erie district beautiful with cleanup efforts with the Our West Bayfront and Erie Downtown Partnership organizations.   

Gannon University plans the annual GIVE Day to coincide with the International Coastal Cleanup, an annual day that brings awareness to marine debris, and is recognized by participating in cleanups on beaches, waterways and neighborhoods. 

"Every year during GIVE Day, we are reminded of the power we possess to make a difference in our community," said Keith Jones Pomeroy, director of the Center for Social Concerns at Gannon University. “ÂÒÂ×ÊÓÆµ is committed to creating a culture of service, and GIVE Day allows our campus community to live this out with our neighbors. It's a fun day where we can work to positively impact the places where we live.”