SU celebrates National Orange Day March 24

Syracuse University will be celebrating on Thursday, March 24, as the University and SU alumni clubs around the country mark National Orange Day. This year is the 141st anniversary of SU’s founding on March 24, 1870.

“On National Orange Day, we celebrate the University’s rich traditions and join together with our alumni clubs to support our respective communities across the nation,” says Cristina Swift, assistant director of alumni relations. “There is no better way to mark SU’s birthday than to display our Orange spirit and pride through celebration and community outreach.”

On March 24, Alumni Relations, the Traditions Commission and the Alumni Club of CNY will host a birthday celebration from 6-8 p.m. in the Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium. Students, alumni, faculty, staff and the community are invited to join in the fun, which will include photos with Otto; carnival games and mini hoops; student performances; refreshments; a caricaturist; and the presentation of the 2011 Orange Spirit Award.

Parking will be available in the Waverly lot on the corner of South Crouse Avenue and Waverly Avenue, and the Marion lot on the corner of Walnut and Waverly avenues.

The National Orange Day 2011 campus community service project will be the collection of needed items for the Golisano Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House of Central New York. Donations can be dropped off at the event in the Goldstein Auditorium, or at the Alumni Relations office in the Goldstein Alumni and Faculty Center.

Donation ideas for the Children’s Hospital include cartoon band aids and age appropriate books for teens. For the Ronald McDonald House, donation ideas include food, office and household supplies, as well as gift cards. To see a complete list for Ronald McDonald House, visit http://syr.edu/alumni/events/National-Orange-Day.html.

For more information on the National Orange Day birthday celebration, contact Alumni Relations at sualumni@syr.edu or 800-SUALUMS (782-5867).

Also on March 24:

• SU Bookstore will feature a “Bursting with Pride!” promotion. Look for the orange balloons throughout the store. Pop the balloon and save from 10 to 60 percent on items throughout the Bookstore, including SU apparel and gifts, books, selected computer accessories, Vera Bradley and more;
• Wear your orange to the Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion on South Campus and enjoy a free skate rental;
• The National Grid building in downtown Syracuse and the Carrier Dome will be lit in orange.

To mark National Orange Day, alumni clubs across the country will come together to make a difference in their respective communities. Some of the planned programs include:

The Army ROTC will make monetary donations to SU’s First Book Program, the USO- sponsored United Through Reading Program and to Braille Books for Blind Children (American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults).

The Big Apple Orange (New York City) club will host a happy hour to benefit Pajama Program, a charity that collects new pajamas and books for children in need.

The Boston club will help clean up Olmstead Park on May 14. The park is located between Brookline and Jamaica Plain.

The Capital District (Albany) club will volunteer at Dayhaven Social Model Adult Daycare in Schenectady on March 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Central New Jersey club will collect books for the children of Stepping Stones Learning Academy (ages 3 to 4).

The Central New York club will help with the International Young Scholars Program on March 26 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Dr. King Magnet School. For more information, contact Binh Huynh at bqhuynh@syr.edu or 315-443-5348.

The Indianapolis club will volunteer at the Habitat for Humanity retail Re-store on March 26 from 9 a.m. to noon.

The Northern New Jersey club will volunteer at Deidre’s House, a child advocacy center in Morristown on March 26 by providing a spring clean-up, as well as restocking the kitchen with healthy snacks and drinks. The club is also accepting monetary donations and gift cards, which the club will match up to $500.

The Philadelphia club will volunteer at Philabundance, a local food bank, on March 26 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Philabundance is located on 3616 South Galloway St. in Philadelphia.

The Rochester club will volunteer at Camp Good Days and Special Times Headquarters at 1332 Pittsford-Mendon Road in Mendon on March 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Club members will help the organization prepare for their 11th annual Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and Auction.

The South Florida club is organizing a beach clean up on Singer Island. The event will be held at Ocean Park Reef, 3860 North Ocean Drive, Riviera Beach on March 19 at 9 a.m.

The Southern California club participated in Reading to Kids on March 12.

The Stumptown Orange (Portland) club will volunteer with Rebuilding Together Portland on April 30.

The Whitman Alumni Club of New York City will hold a “Day in the Dirt” program in conjunction with the Central Park Conservancy on April 2 to help with spring cleaning.

For more information regarding National Orange Day programs, visit http://alumni.syr.edu.