UO, Wisconsin to make service part of Rose Bowl experience

When representatives from the University of Oregon and Ohio State University collaborated on a service project before the 2010 Rose Bowl, a tradition was born that has since seen the Ducks help the communities of Glendale, Arizona, and San Antonio and Arlington, Texas.

On Dec. 31, that tradition will continue when 100 volunteers from the UO and the University of Wisconsin spend the morning at the Los Angeles Food Bank’s Commerce Volunteer Center, assembling food packages for 27,000 seniors in need in Los Angeles County.

“We are thrilled to continue this great tradition of serving together with our colleagues from the University of Wisconsin, to give back to the bowl host city,” said Kevin Marbury, vice president for student life. “Food security is an important issue in our own community, and we are grateful for the opportunity to be able to contribute to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank mission that no one goes hungry in Los Angeles County.”

Giving back to the community is not a new concept at the University of Oregon. The very first sentence of the university’s mission statement says the UO is committed to service, and "public service" is listed alongside "scientific discovery" and "creative inquiry" as one of the ways in which members of the UO community enrich the human condition.

Oregon’s participation in this collaborative effort is overseen by the Division of Student Life. At The UO, student life manages the Holden Center for Leadership and Community Engagement, which helps students develop leadership skills and plan service events. Through the Office of the Dean of Students and in partnership with campus and community partners, the division also helps oversee the UO’s food security programs, which address student food insecurity issues.

This will be the eighth bowl-related service event the Ducks have participated in, covering four Rose Bowls, the 2011 and 2014 national championship games, the 2013 Fiesta Bowl and the 2016 Alamo Bowl.

It will also be the second service event the university participates in at the Rose Bowl, after the football team invites children from a local YMCA to attend practice on Dec. 29.

For Los Angeles native Kayvon Thibodeaux, a freshman defensive end who hopes to play in the National Football League and use that as a springboard to improve the community where he grew up, knowing a Rose Bowl appearance provides multiple opportunities to help those less fortunate just makes the trip even sweeter.

“It’s wonderful,” Thibodeaux said. “We’ve been blessed. I’m happy to be able to go home and give back. A lot of people I know aren’t blessed with this opportunity. The fact that I can show them how possible [giving back] is, and that it’s not as hard as it seems, is a blessing.”