Search
Close this search box.
Volunteers planting one of the 325 trees planted during the 2022 Purdue Day of Service, which was held October 28 at Horticulture Park.
Volunteers planting one of the 325 trees planted during the 2022 Purdue Day of Service

Volunteers Plant 325 Trees During Second Purdue Day of Service

Held for just the second time on Friday, October 28, the Purdue Day of Service has already become a shining example of success through both small steps and giant leaps.

Success through small steps stems from the modest goal of the event, which is to bring a relatively small but dedicated group of volunteers to Purdue’s campus one day each year to plant trees—to give back, one tree at a time.

Giant leaps can be seen in its year-to-year growth. Productivity increased—dramatically—as the number of trees planted skyrocketed from 62 in 2021 to 325 in 2022. Additionally, interest in the event was so strong this year that the registration limit was reached in a matter of hours and a lengthy waiting list was created. In the end, nearly 100 alumni and friends of the university participated.

Volunteers admiring their work for the Purdue Day of Service 2022
Volunteers admiring their work

“Our inaugural event was a success, particularly considering that it was new, but the response this year has been incredible,” says Courtney Cassady, senior director of outreach and volunteerism for the Purdue for Life Foundation. “People were willing to join our waiting list and be on call just to volunteer. That says a lot about how dedicated the Purdue family is. Then, when they got here, our volunteers really worked hard and had fun.”

This year’s Purdue Day of Service took place at Horticulture Park, where volunteers worked in three two-hour shifts alongside staff from Purdue Physical Facilities. The trees, all of them native to Indiana, were planted at various spots throughout the park.

Sue Campbell (S’73, MS S’77), a retired biology teacher from Mishawaka, Indiana, was among those who had to join the waiting list. Once called upon, she gladly made the two-hour drive to West Lafayette to volunteer.

“I volunteered because I wanted to give back to Purdue—it’s my favorite place in the world, and the more I can do to help, the happier I am,” says Campbell, who has four children who also graduated from the university. “I do like to volunteer when I can, so I was happy to wait and make the trip. I think some of that desire was instilled in me during my time at Purdue. I learned how to persevere and how working as a team is really important.”

The day's first volunteers for the Purdue Day of Service 2022
The day’s first volunteers

Many volunteers had also attended the inaugural event, including Jennifer Kawlewski (PG’22). An administrative assistant in Purdue’s College of Pharmacy, Kawlewski arrived wearing her complimentary T-shirt from the 2021 event but quickly replaced it with the 2022 version.

“I always enjoy doing things for Purdue, which does so much for so many people, and it really is fun,” Kawlewski says. “This event is extremely important. Our campus has always been beautiful—I think we have one of the most beautiful campuses there is. With all of the growth and development the university has seen recently, it’s important that we get out and make sure we add back some beauty.”

Purdue University and the Purdue for Life Foundation created the Purdue Day of Service to encourage alumni and friends of the university to embrace volunteerism. This event aligns with Purdue’s 1869 Tree Planting Master Plan, which calls for planting 3,738 trees by fiscal year 2025, and the Sustainability Master Plan. The total number of trees to be planted was determined by doubling 1,869, which is the year Purdue was founded.

The event also reinforced Purdue’s standing as an Arbor Day Foundation Tree Campus Higher Education institution, an honor the university has held since 2009. The program has recognized green colleges and universities since 2008.

“Volunteerism is an essential part of the Purdue for Life mission, and it is great that we can come together in a way that is also so meaningful to the university,” Cassady says. “I’m very proud to be a Boilermaker.”

The Purdue for Life Foundation created a video and photo gallery to commemorate the 2022 Purdue Day of Service.

If you couldn’t make it to the event but would still like to contribute, you can donate to the Purdue Campus Beautification Fund. And stay tuned—Purdue Day of Service will be back in fall 2023. To be sure you don’t miss out, keep an eye on the Purdue for Life Foundation website and social channels for updates.

—Aaron Martin

More impact stories
Tyler Trent
Introducing the Tyler Trent Pediatric Cancer Research Center

Tyler Trent (AS T’18) was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, at 15 years old. Despite his diagnosis, he was determined to attend Purdue University and have a normal college experience. While undergoing aggressive cancer treatment, Tyler maintained a positive attitude, inspiring millions.

Joanne Troutner
Pacesetter for a ‘Pet Project’

You could argue that Joanne Troutner has long been a pacesetter for Purdue University. Now, she’s setting the pace for a “pet project” dear to her heart.

Keagan’s story

I’m walking with Grandparents University tour group near the steps of Hovde Hall. It’s a Thursday morning in July, and the only students around are between the ages of 7 and 14. I catch a snippet of a conversation between a grandmother and her grandson as she details the pranks she pulled with her friends around this area.

I smile because just a few months ago I was doing the same thing.

Grandparents University (GPU) is a two-day event where grandparents and their grandchildren embrace Purdue and all it has to offer.

Participants choose a specific major to study and attend a class taught by Boilermaker experts. The majors aren’t exactly like the ones we have here at Purdue, but they do get to do cool activities like creating hot sauce, designing monsters, flying drones, and cooking in a Purdue kitchen. It’s a great opportunity to see wisdom and curiosity combined in the classroom, as grandparents and their grandchildren collaborate on these projects. They’re equally willing to learn from the instructors —and from each other—while creating lasting memories.

They might not know it yet, but this Purdue experience at such a young age will help with their college decision in a few years.

My mother started working at Purdue when she was pregnant with me, so I’ve been familiar with the university my whole life. Many of my childhood memories are associated with different parts of campus, and these memories played a big part in my decision to attend Purdue. I was going to a place that I knew—a place I already considered a home away from home. In the same way, when these children make their college decisions, they will already have built connections with Purdue through Grandparents University.

It will also help they already have a Purdue degree!

At the end of GPU, the kids graduate just like regular students by walking across the stage of Elliott Hall of Music. They even have their own caps to decorate and keep—which is great because robe rentals would be a nightmare.

I had been to nine commencement ceremonies before my own in May, so I’m well-versed in Purdue graduations. Nevertheless, it was still fun to watch this one.

These children had learned so much more than what was taught in their major. They learned more about their grandparents and strengthened their connection with them. They learned about the university and what’s in store for them when they (hopefully) become Boilermakers. And at the Block Party, they befriended students they had never met before and hung out on Memorial Mall—just like regular college students.

It was almost exactly what I experienced throughout my college career. Yes, I got my degree and now  have a job as was intended on this life path. But I also made lifelong friendships and went outside my comfort zone in ways that helped me grow as an individual.

Purdue shaped me and continues to shape me. I credit a lot of my growth as a person and a professional to my college career here, and a lot of what I know to the professors and instructors I had throughout my education.

Through Grandparents University, you have the opportunity to provide the same transformative experience for future Boilermakers. You can be the Purdue instructor that inspires a path that lasts a lifetime.

Patsy J. Mellott

BS College of Health and Human Sciences, 1969
Fishers, IN

Patsy earned a bachelor’s degree in food and nutrition in business from Purdue in 1969, in addition to an MBA in food marketing from Michigan State University in 1970. She retired from Kraft Foods in 2006 after 36 years in corporate food marketing and marketing communications management.

A community volunteer, Patsy serves on the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana Advisory Board and the Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences Dean’s Leadership Council, in addition to the President’s Council Advisory Board. She is a former member of the Health and Human Sciences Alumni Board. Patsy held several offices from 2006 through 2013, including president and treasurer. She serves her community’s Discover Indianapolis Club in Fishers, holding several leadership roles for over 10 years.

Patsy has received several honors, including the Purdue University Nutrition Science Department Hall of Fame recipient in 2009 and the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016. She also received the college’s Gold and Black Award in 2016, an honor reserved for donors who have moved the college forward by committing exceptional financial resources.

In addition to endowing two scholarships, the Patsy J. Mellott Scholarship and Patsy J. Mellott HHS Scholarship, she established the Patsy J. Mellott Teaching Innovation Award in the College of Health and Human Sciences in 2013. In 2015, she endowed the Patsy J. Mellott Women’s Tennis Coach Performance Award. She is a lead donor in the Christine M. Ladisch Faculty Leadership Award and the Purdue Women’s Network Virginia C. Meredith Scholarship for the College of Health and Human Sciences.