Organizers of the eighth annual Dump and Run event, that took place May 5-9 around Ferris State University’s Big Rapids campus, have declared the 2014 effort a success.
Dump and Run is a yearly outreach activity orchestrated by the Immanuel Lutheran Church and Ferris to benefit people in need in the Big Rapids community. Off-campus Ferris students and local community members drop off donations of usable and reusable items at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Big Rapids.
As part of this effort, receptacles were placed around campus and at one off-campus location. Marianne Wolken, the event’s chairperson, noted that more than 5,000 items were collected. The breakdown of items were as follows: 3,048 pieces of clothing, 78 pairs of shoes, 252 school supplies, 277 household items, 135 cleaning products, 81 bedding items, 80 personal items and 1,180 food items.
The donated items were distributed to 15 area organizations, including:
- Salvation Army
- Rita Regan
- W.I.S.E (Women’s Information Service, Inc.)
- Morley-Stanwood American Legion Food Pantry
- St. Vincent De Paul
- The Lord’s Table
- Project Starburst
- Angels of Action
- Our Brother’s Keeper
- Manna Pantry
- Riverview and Brookside elementary schools
- New 2 You
- Habitat for Humanity
- Hope House
- New Journey
A total of 35 volunteers helped sort and pick up items at the receptacle locations.