New Briefs: Alternative senior service day plans, new holidays in Fairway, and hear from Kansas House Representative Rui Xu on bills in Kansas Legislature

This year’s SHARE Senior Service Day consisted of a vote that ended on April 21 for one of four different charities, with Avenue of Life receiving the most votes and a monetary donation of $4,500, plus donations.

In years past, seniors would spend a day volunteering at various non-profit organizations to bond as a class and support the community while the juniors took the ACT.

This year, due to COVID-19 protocols and safety measures, the traditional service day is not viable. SHARE considered organizing smaller or outdoor projects, but ultimately decided against holding an event.

“It’s the best plan because we’re able to make an impact without putting anyone’s health at risk, and the seniors still have a choice of where they want to help, like usual years,” senior and SHARE Exec Ellie Peters said.

Despite the revised format of the day, seniors will still receive a T-shirt. 

“It’s funny because in past years, they say, ‘Senior Service Day,’ but this [year], we’re not even having a day, we’re just having an occasion or an event,” Peters said. “So I’m excited to see the shirts because one of the other execs is designing [them].”