ACES club provides wonderful volunteer opportunities

SOPHIE GOURLEY  ’19
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
As seen at the Annual Orientation Activities Fair, Trinity offers a variety of clubs, across all areas of interest.  For those interested in event planning and community service, the Annual Community Events Staff, more commonly known as ACES, is the perfect fit.  According to President Georgie Wynn ’16, ACES, “is one the largest community service groups on campus”.  She also adds that ACES will be organizing three events this semester for the entire community.
The first ACES event is Halloween on Vernon. The purpose of this event is to provide a safe and fun environment for kids in the Hartford area to come and celebrate Halloween, and has been a Trinity tradition for years. For this event, Vernon Street is closed and a variety of the fraternity houses and cultural houses are open for kids to come dressed up and trick-or-treat.
In addition, ACES also plans to have several different activities tables that include fun entertainment such as apple bobbing, bean bag tosses and face painting.
Abby Painchaud ’18 remembers her first Halloween on Vernon, stating, “It was great to see how many children actually come to Vernon Street and I was so surprised about the number of parents who came up to us and thanked us for having a safe event for their children.”
The event always has such a positive response, that the entire community gets involved.  Students who are looking to get involved with this annual event can sign up to bring children to the different houses and activities. This year, Halloween on Vernon will take place on Sunday, Oct. 25.
During the second half of the semester ACES will be hosting a Thanksgiving Drive as well as Sponsor-a-Snowman.  The Thanksgiving Drive is a chance for the Trinity community to provide goods or funds to provide families in Hartford a Thanksgiving meal. Last year, ACES put together over one hundred baskets for families in need.
In addition, ACES is planning on continuing the annual Sponsor-a-Snowman. The ACES President explains that the group goes, “to a local elementary school and find out what each student in one class wants for Christmas”.  Following the visit, members of the Annual Community Events Staff write the name of the student, along with his or her desired gift on a snowman to be displayed outside of Mather. “The Trinity community is welcome to take a listed item off of the snowman and purchase the item for a Hartford child. This event is rewarding because it involves all of Trinity, and students really enjoy participating and buying gifts.” Abby Painchaud ’18 adds.
If the Fall semester events sound something one would like to become involved with, or even hear more about, the meetings are held weekly on Mondays at 5:30 in the Community Service Lounge. The club’s president also says to email georgianna.wynn@trincoll.edu regarding any questions about how to be of assistance during the Fall events.