September 20, 2002: Volume 56, Number 2

On Toll Day, students put a shine on city

It's unclear whether John Calvin Toll, one of Union's first graduates in 1799, did much in the way of painting or planting on his arrival in Schenectady.

But hundreds of students from the Class of 2006 and other classes will be wielding paintbrushes and shovels in his honor on Saturday for the annual community service day that bears his name.

The students will join members of other local volunteer organizations to clean a number of parks and city-owned properties as well as assist with projects at local agencies including American Red Cross, Bethesda House, Community Land Trust, Eddy Senior Center, Family Child Services of Schenectady and Safe Inc. The day will end with a reception featuring gourmet desserts at the City Center Sportsplex. President Roger Hull and other staff and faculty are planning to participate.

John Calvin Toll Community Day is later than usual to allow more members of Union's student body to participate. Begun in 1995 as a way to strengthen ties with the city and expose students to volunteer opportunities, it was part of freshman orientation, held days before other students arrived.

"This year, we look forward to tapping into a much larger workforce," said Gretchel Tyson, Union's community outreach coordinator. "For many of our older students, working at Toll Day was their first exposure to the City of Schenectady, and the beginning of a college career that included volunteering in the community. So, it is natural that we include them."

John Calvin Toll Day is supported by Al Hill '46 and his wife, Perrie. Toll was the great, great grandfather of Hill, a retired attorney from Buffalo. The Hills created the fund to encourage Union students to undertake volunteer service. "We believe that the experiences from this activity will carry over beyond graduation and enrich not only those they serve but also the volunteers," Hill said.

For more information, contact Gretchel Tyson at ext. 6609.

<< Previous Story Curator Ron Burch of WTC...

Next Story >> Doug Klein: converging...