September 11, 2011: National Day of Remembrance and Service

 

NOVA hosted seven service activities to honor the 10th Anniversary of September 11. NOVA Serves: 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance held weeklong activities and the activities included “acts of kindness,” blood drives, school supply drives, car care clinic and Operation School Supply assembly event. Nearly 600 students, faculty, staff and members of the community participated in these activities.

Three blood drives were held at the Manassas, Woodbridge and Alexandria Campuses. All three drives had great turnout despite the rainy weather with all exceeding the donor goals. Banners were posted around various campuses inviting students to commit an act of kindness along the theme of “I will.”

Communications faculty worked with students and used flip cameras to record personal reflections on the events of September 11, 2001, and their commitment to service. At the Annandale Campus, photos of students and staff who were “caught” wearing a red, white and blue ribbon were posted on the Campus monitors. Alexandria Campus Student Government Association members were involved in helping area children’s hospitals and spreading acts of kindness with toy donations. At the Alexandria Campus, the Automotive Department hosted a Drive to Employment (DTE) car care clinic for low-income members of the community on Saturday, September 10.

On Sunday, September 11, the Alexandria Campus also hosted Operation School Supply. Students from every campus were represented at the event. At 1:00 p.m., a moment of silence was held and a peace pole was dedicated.

More than 350 school supply kits were assembled and will be personally delivered by U.S. soldiers and Marines stationed abroad to needy school children in Iraq and Afghanistan. Over the past two years, in partnership with Operation International Children, NOVA has sent more than 950 school supply kits.

A video was created to capture the passion and commitment of the NOVA SERVES: 9/11/11 event. To view the video, click here.