Community Relations:
Community Relations acts as the communication device between the Hand in Hand organization and Saint Joseph’s University students and high school students who participate in the day’s activities. In order to prepare for the day of the event, the committee contacts previous high school participants via letter and email for the Saint Josephs University students. The committee also actively works towards recruiting friends for the day. On the actual day of the event, Community Relation acts a motivator for the friends as at the committee performs an orientation for outside participants and buddies from Saint Joseph’s University. The group also facilities in one of the best moments of the day, the linking of the friends and the guests. Community Relations ensures that each friend receives important information for the day’s activities, including a name tag and t-shirt, to ensure an organized event.
Design and Decorations:
Design and Activities Committee is the committee responsible for ALL decorations for the field house for the day of Hand in Hand. It is our job to brainstorm, draw, and paint each and every decoration that makes Hand-in-Hand the big day that it is. We work throughout the entire year (especially the second semester) to bring the theme to life. In addition to the decorations, D & D also designs the t-shirts that the guests, friends and Hand-in-Hand members wear at the final event. We design the logo on the t-shirt and slogan to fit the theme.
Health Care and Guests:
The Health Care and Guests committee is responsible for inviting guests to our festival. We contact facilities and individuals to inform them about the event. We are also responsible for making sure the health care needs of each individual is met on the day of the event. Every year, we are in search of medical students and nurses to help on the day of. We also look for students to be our sub-committee. This entails helping the committee with various things on the day of the event such as working the registration table and linking up the friends for the day.
Operations and Activities:
The Operations and Activities committee is in charge of fund-raising of the event. We organize two campus wide bagel sales which not only raise money but spread awareness about the big event. On the day of Hand in Hand, we run the information booth along with assisting other committees and guests. In addition we are responsible for the booth, games and prizes on the day of Hand in Hand.
Entertainment:
The Entertainment committee is responsible for the entertainment for the event. We contact bands, DJs and mascots from the Philadelphia community. We also bring together students to dress up in costumes for the day. We have students dress up in everything from Eeyore and Tigger, to Tinkerbelle, Buzz Lightyear, Daisy Duck, Batman and Robin and so many more. We encourage the students who dress up to hand out stickers to our guests and friends, dance around and enjoy the day. Additionally, the committee is responsible for finding two energetic and entertaining emcees to announce important information and introduce the bands. Furthermore, the entertainment committee is in charge of choosing movies that will be played throughout the day, for all our guests and friends to enjoy.
Food:
The Food Committee is responsible for contacting various companies in the surrounding area and requesting donations for the event. Our van trained students travel to those donating organizations to pick up products that we receive. We also work with Aramark to purchase items with meal card donations given by the generous student body. We also arrange food for other events throughout Awareness Week prior to the Big Day. The committee recruits fraternities to assist in food preparations such as grilling. The day of, we need to have enough food provided for over 3,000 guests and friends.
If you want to be involved with the Food Committee, but can neither be a full time member nor assist on the day of, you can donate to the event with various items. In particular those which are most needed include: beverages (including diet), cookies, sugar-free snacks, chips, napkins, paper plates, and more!
Publicity:
Hand in Hand Publicity’s Committee is responsible for making this organization well-known on Saint Joseph’s campus and in the local community The committee plans and implements Hand in Hand awareness week. This week is filled with fun events to raise awareness about Hand in Hand and people with special needs. These events include free Rita’s water ice, moves and an on-campus concert. Publicity also advertises the event to local newspapers, television stations and radio stations. We believe that Hand in Hand is the best organization on campus and we love spreading the word about it.
