Cazenovia College Student Ashley Ference Helps to "Vaccinate a Village"

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(Standing, L to R): James Hastie and Angel Rivera with the donation check; (seated, L to R): Ashley Ference, Erich Lange, and Alicia Priest hold Red Cross certificates of appreciation

CAZENOVIA, NY (12/16/2010)(readMedia)-- It takes about a dollar to immunize one child against measles. The American Red Cross Measles Initiative, Vaccinate a Village, has immunized more than 700 million children in less than a decade. Recently, Cazenovia College students joined the effort, presenting a $500 check to the Red Cross, with money still coming in from their fundraising initiatives.

The fundraising effort began because Erich Lange of Greenfield Center, N.Y., an international studies major at Cazenovia College, and Alicia Priest of Warners, N.Y., a human services major specializing in services for children and youth, needed a service learning project for their Introduction to Human Services class.

Their instructor, Professor Mary Handley, had asked Angel Rivera, a 2010 alumna of Cazenovia College's Human Services Program, to speak to the class about Americorps, and the Vaccinate a Village program, sponsored by the American Red Cross. Rivera is an Americorps*VISTA youth services coordinator for the American Red Cross of Central New York. Rivera says, "The goal of $500 was set because it's estimated that an average village might have about 500 inhabitants."

Lange and Priest decided they would take on Vaccinate a Village as their service learning project. They were joined in their efforts by Ashley Ference of Hillsdale, N.Y., an interior design major, and member of the Human Services Club, who chaired a bake sale.

Lange enlisted his uncle, a middle school teacher in Shippensburg, Pa., to host a "Hat Day." Students each paid one dollar to be allowed to wear a hat in school. Priest organized her Introduction to Human Services Club to sell Christmas cards, and Ference organized a bake sale.

In addition to these initiatives, the Cazenovia College Art Gallery in Reisman Hall hosted its inaugural craft fair, selling handmade art and craft items during Cazenovia's annual Christmas Walk, with proceeds going to Vaccinate a Village.

In accepting the check, James Hastie, major gifts officer for the American Red Cross of Central New York, said, "We're very proud to accept this gift – I've been involved in fundraising for 20 years and I'm still amazed by the power and enthusiasm of students when they set their minds on reaching a goal."

Hastie also noted, "I also ask people to remember the Red Cross disaster relief services - we have assisted the survivors of 19 fires in Onondaga and Oswego counties alone since Thanksgiving Day. We depend on philanthropists in the community to maintain our ability to help those in need."

Rivera has been a member of AmeriCorps VISTA since August of 2010. She is spending her year of full-time service with the Red Cross, helping to address the needs of low-income communities. Her work is focused on building permanent infrastructure to help bring individuals and communities out of poverty. Visit www.americorps.gov for more information. To find out more about services provided by The American Red Cross, visit www.RedCrossCNY.org

For more information about Cazenovia College's Human Services Club, contact Professor Mary Handley, PhD, CRC, the director of the Human Services Program, and adviser to the Human Services Club, at 315-655-7131, or mhandley@cazenovia.edu.

Photo: (Standing, L to R): James Hastie and Angel Rivera with the donation check; (seated, L to R): Ashley Ference, Erich Lange, and Alicia Priest display certificates of appreciation from the American Red Cross

Cazenovia College, named one of "America's Best Colleges" by US News & World Report, is an independent, co-educational, baccalaureate college, located near Syracuse, N.Y. Cazenovia, selected as a College of Distinction by www.collegesofdistinction.com, offers a comprehensive liberal arts education in an exceptional community environment, with academic and co-curricular programs devoted to developing leaders in their professional fields. For more information, visit www.cazenovia.edu.

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