More than 1,100 alumni, students, faculty, staff and parents of La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA, participated in the Lasallian Day of Service September 29, 2012 to mark the University’s 150th anniversary.
Volunteers served at more than 30 sites in the Philadelphia-area and 14 locations around the country including Lasallian schools that serve students in need. They volunteered at La Salle Academy in Philadelphia, West Catholic High School in Philadelphia, St. Gabriel’s Hall in Audubon, PA, San Miguel School in Washington, D.C., Martin de Porres in New York, De Marillac Academy in San Francisco, CA, and De La Salle Middle School at St. Matthew’s in St. Louis, MO. Service work at those Lasallian sites and others included landscaping, packing grocery bags at food banks, painting a homeless shelter and more.
La Salle organized the event to highlight the University’s heritage of service. “The theme of our sesquicentennial celebration is ‘Living the Promise,'” said Brother Michael McGinniss, FSC, La Salle President. “It is our way of saying that while La Salle has grown and adapted to meet the circumstances and needs of the times, we have been faithful to our mission.”
In recent years, La Salle students have contributed more than 50,000 hours of community service annually. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching selected La Salle for its Community Engagement Classification, one of only 115 institutions to earn the prestigious recognition.
More events are planned for this academic year to celebrate the milestone anniversary. Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga and Saint Mary’s College High School in Berkeley, CA, are also celebrating their 150th anniversaries this year.