With the approach of the 10th an- niversary of 9/11 this Sunday, Harding University is paying tribute to the victims and heroes of that tragic day by gathering volunteers from Harding and around Searcy to participate in 11,000 documented hours of service.
Harding is working in partnership with The Corporation for National and Community Service, which is asking volunteers nationwide to accomplish 1millionhoursofservice,andwill last until September 13th.
Although thousands of miles away, this tragedy still touched the lives of people here in Searcy, Ark. Judy Hart, food service manager at Aramark, said she remembers being in the student center when the news came about what happened to the World Trade Center.
“I had family in New York and im- mediately I knew my cousin Melissa was gone,” Hart said. “I was sad at first and then all I could do then was to be thankful that it was Melissa because I know everything happens for a reason
and I know that the Lord was going to use her death to bring our family closer together as a family.”
Currently enrolled students can still recall the confusion and fear of what happened when 9/11 took place.
“I was at school and they turned the TVs on for a little while,” senior Melissa Hall said. “The teachers wouldn’t tell us anything and it was just confusing. It was shocking to see it on the television and it took a few days for the reality to set in.”
The hours of service will begin on Saturday, Sept. 10, and last until Tuesday, Sept. 13. In a message from Dr.DavidBurks,presidentofHarding University, to the Harding and Searcy communities, he invited organizations, companies, churches, civic groups and individuals to participate in helping Harding achieve its goal of 11,000 hours.
“It gives us a way to remember [the victims] but also let the ones know that serve in our community that we love and that we’re here for them and that we’re going to support them no matter what,” Hart said.
The initiative is being organized by Harding’s alumni office and the
Rock House. They will be organizing service projects, helping volunteers log their service hours and provide ideas for volunteering. Harding hopes to change the way people view Sept. 11 and associate it with benevolence.
“With the terrorism, they wanted to paralyze the country with fear, but we want to mobilize the country with love,” said Todd Gentry, college outreach minister at the College Church of Christ.
On Sunday at 7 pm, there will be a memorial service and patriotic tribute to honor veterans, first re- sponders to 9/11 and others in the BensonAuditorium.Therewillalso be speeches from Searcy Mayor David Morris, White County Judge Michael Lincoln and President Burks. Kelly Neill, assistant professor of music and choir of the Department of Music, will be coordinating the music for the memorial service.
“Sept. 11 has been viewed as a very negative and sad day, but the national day of service is to change it into something positive,” said Liz Howell, alumni relations director at Harding University. “We don’t want these lives to be in vain: They live on.”
