In the Name of a Good Cause

Waldo Wannabes
Rutgers students will do just about anything for a good cause. To promote children’s literacy, 1,052 Waldos convened at New Brunswick’s State Theatre in 2009, setting a Guinness World Record by having the World’s Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Waldo (of the children’s book series Where’s Waldo?). The Rutgers University Programming Association and Rutgers Student Life organized the volunteers, who donated more than 3,000 books to the local school district.

International Perpective
During the summer of 1961, Rutgers–New Brunswick became the first training location for the new Peace Corps, which was directed by R. Sargent Shriver, who visited Rutgers to welcome the inaugural volunteers. Rutgers has greatly expanded the ways that students can learn and volunteer around the world through a range of programs, which still includes the Peace Corps.

Bop ’Til You Drop
The Rutgers University Dance Marathon at Rutgers–New Brunswick, whose origins go back to 1971, is the largest student-run philanthropic event in New Jersey. Students have raised a total of $5.8 million; Embrace Kids Foundation, based in New Brunswick, is the most recent beneficiary of the marathon.

RAH: A Cause to Cheer
Each year, Rutgers Against Hunger (RAH) enlists students and other members of the Rutgers community to raise money and collect food for New Jersey residents in need—an effort that, since 2008, has produced 225,000 pounds of food and $250,000 for food banks. A high point of the campaign is when volunteers “adopt” a family and provide food, gifts, and household goods during the holiday season.