Oklahoma State University Athletics
Volunteers Needed for Best of America
March 23, 2000 | General
March 23, 2000
The OSU Athletics Department and Golden Key National Honor Society are hosting the fifth annual Best of America event April 5th, and more than 200 volunteers are needed.
The community outreach program, which was established in 1996, draws more than 6,000 fifth graders from nearly 100 schools in Oklahoma to participate in the event each year.
Best of America events are scheduled to occur from 10:30 to 12 p.m. on Lewis Field. The "I" Wonder Fair, which is held in conjunction with Best of America, is scheduled to take place from 12 to 2:30 p.m. on Willard Lawn and near the Formal Gardens.
The "I" Wonder Fair is an annual event sponsored by Education Student Council.
"Best of America is a great experience for both volunteers and the kids participating," said Jennifer Stewart, Best of America director. "It gives the university a chance to show kids what OSU is all about."
OSU student volunteers are needed during Best of America at three separate times.
The first group, which is to volunteer from 9 to 3 p.m., will serve as Ambassadors to the participating schools.
The Ambassadors will be with their schools for the entire day, meeting their school at the school's bus and taking the children from Best of America events to the "I" Wonder Fair.
The second group will volunteer from 9 to 12:20 p.m., and will also serve as a school's Ambassador. However, these volunteers will only serve as Ambassadors during Best of America events. An "I" Wonder Fair representative will serve as the school's Ambassador during "I" Wonder Fair events.
The third group of volunteers, who are needed from 8:30 to 1:30 p.m., will serve as ushers, safety members, parking attendants, or Ambassadors for the event.
Best of America is also known as "90 Minutes of Positive Bombardment," in which positive messages are sent to thousands of children statewide through athletic demonstrations, messages from student leaders, student-athletes, coaches, and nationally recognized role models.
This year's national recognized role model is Austin Payne, an elementary school student from Putnam City, OK.
The program encompasses a variety of ways to spread positive messages such as staying in school, being substance free, and setting goals.
Application forms for people interested in serving as volunteers for Best of America are available at 060 Student Union and can also be found at www.okstate.edu.
The application deadline for volunteers has been extended to Friday, March 31.
For more information about Best of America contact Jennifer Stewart at 707-7820 or by e-mail at jstew@okstate.edu.
