On Saturday, April 1 Hoyas United in Graduate Service sponsored a charity grilling event on the Leavey Esplanade that coincided with the graduate school co-ed softball tournament. The event raised money for an upcoming HUGS dinner event at the Ronald McDonald house in Northeast Washington, D.C..
More than 50 students from the Master of Science in Foreign Service program, as well as other graduate programs, stopped by the HUGS cookout to enjoy burgers, hot dogs, drinks and snacks, a beautiful afternoon, and to support HUGS. “Any time you get 50 people on a Sunday, you’re happy,” HUGS president and international relations and security concentrator Alex Kelly (MSFS ’13).
The following Tuesday, HUGS members prepared a healthy dinner for 40 children at the Ronald McDonald House in Northeast D.C., which houses families of children who are in long-term hospital care away from their homes. “[The cookout] supported the members of HUGS so they could go to Ronald McDonald House,” HUGS Special Events Coordinator and international development concentrator Charlene Chan (MSFS ’13) explained. “We got all the supplies and all the food. The only thing we borrowed was the kitchen.”
The MSFS softball team excited about the graduate school tournament.
The event also served as a way to expand the group’s reach from MSFS to the entire graduate school. HUGS, a new student group that was officially formed by MSFS students and recognized for funding by the Graduate Student Organization earlier this year, has made that a priority. “It’s challenging to see the whole graduate school community together, but this event – which used the tournament – was a great opportunity,” HUGS Communications Chair and international development concentrator Kat Schmermund (MSFS ’13) asserted.
Given the success of the cookout, HUGS plans to sponsor more activities to unite students across the various graduate programs. “We’ll try to have an event early next year to bring together the entire graduate school community,” Schmermund said.