Seward County Community College will welcome friends and neighbors to campus at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, for a “Saints Care” event. The outdoor ceremony of remembrance and hope will also feature a drive-through giveaway of care packages for visitors of all ages, while supplies last. Saints student-athletes, Louie the Saint, and cheer and dance team members will be on hand — at a safe distance — to provide a sneak peek at the upcoming athletic season and offer some Saints spirit.
The event also provides an opportunity for community comfort after a year that has been “hard on all of us,” said SCCC President Brad Bennett. “The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone, and we want our community to know we care.”
To that end, the Saints Care event is set to begin at 5:30 p.m., with vehicles directed to enter campus from the north or west access points. Drivers should follow the signs to the
parking lot behind the student union. After care package pickup that will follow COVID protocols, guests may contribute to the community conversation and take part in a short ceremony at 6 p.m. in the south parking lot. The event will be livestreamed on Facebook with assistance from La Mexicana radio station’s Enrique Franz.
The college’s executive team planned the Saints Care event as a response to the strains the community has weathered over the past year, said Bennett. With SCCC Vice Presidents Dennis Sander, Celeste Donovan, Luke Dowell, and CIO Louis Lemert, he wanted to find a way to give something back.
“We recently completed professional development sessions where one of our themes was gratitude, which is fitting for our relationship to our community,” he said. “Every day, the EOS team from the county, city, hospital, school district, college and nonprofit groups meets to look out for the well-being of the people who are our family, friends and neighbors. As a newcomer to Liberal, I am so impressed with the dedication and service I’ve seen.”
That attention to detail enabled SCCC to complete its fall semester with in-person classes and finals, in addition to remote options for students unable to attend on campus. In fact, SCCC was one of just a handful of higher learning institutions across the state that remained open after the Thanksgiving break. The achievement was the result of the efforts of every student, faculty, and staff member, said Bennett.
“It exceeded my expectations,” he said. “Every person on this campus matters, and contributed to what seemed like an impossible goal back in August — staying open and serving students and the community.”
Bennett said the Saints family wants to pause and celebrate the victories large and small that resulted from the challenges of 2020 and look ahead with hope. Chief Development Officer Kyle Woodrow will officiate and present a short reflection about what we have lost and what we have learned as a community. Community members who wish to remember a loved one who died due to the pandemic or offer a reflection to share publicly can send those contributions to WeCare@scccc.edu.
“At SCCC, we live hand-in-hand with our community,” Bennett said. “That is something to feel good about.”
The Saints Care drive-through event will take place at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 16.
