Get Involved In Your Community! (5 College Area)

Some Friends and I at the “Daffodil Fun Run” Supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters in Amherst, MA this past spring. Photo by Mickayla Blackmer

This week I would like to tell you about some of the local charity events within the 5 College area. Charity events are great ways to get active while also getting involved with your community; whether it’s by running in a charity 5k or stacking cans at a local food drive. The 5 College Consortium consists of Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College, Amherst College, Smith College and University of Massachusetts- Amherst. In these colleges combined there are approximately 30,000 students.

As college students in the 5 College area, we are surrounded by opportunities to support our community. For the residents of Hampshire valley, we are a large part of the population that surges for eight months out of the year. Local businesses make a large percentage of their profit off of our presence so why shouldn’t charities and local non-profits also benefit from the 30,000 students that make up the consortium?

No matter what your comfort or athletic level, there is an event for you. Non-Profit organizations such as the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community are always looking for volunteers to help their cause. However, local events are sometimes the easiest way to get involved and make a difference.

I’ve made a list of events in the next month or two to help in your search:

• September 23^rd 2012 “ELEEF Run for Education 5k Run/Walk” Longmeadow, MA
• September 30^th 2012 “Will Bike 4 Food” Easthampton, MA
• September 30th 2012 “Out of the Darkness Community Walk” Springfield, MA
• October 6^th, 2012 “6^th Annual Hatfield Harvest 5k and 2 Mile Walk” Hatfield, MA
• October 13^th 2012 “March for Babies 5k Walk/Run” Amherst, MA
• October 14^th 2012 “22^nd Annual SID’s Race for Life” Springfield, MA
• October 16^th 2012 “2012 Fall Semester Sweat For Clean Water 5k Walk/Run” Amherst, MA
• October 20^th 2012 “41^stAnnual Amherst A Better Chance 5k Walk/Run” Amherst, MA 
• October 27^th 2012 “4^th Annual Calling All Crows Northampton Halloween 5k” Northampton, MA
• November 4^th 2012 “Cider Donut Run- 10k to Benefit Amherst Survival Center” Amherst, MA

This is not in any way a complete list of local events however, it gives a little insight into the surplus of charity events going on in the area in the next couple of weeks. Events such as these are a great way to get involved with your community and to show a little pride for Western Mass; because to these charities the 30,000 college students making up the 5 College Consortium could make all the difference. So join in the fun, games and help out your local charities today!