Carnegie Mellon University
October 31, 2011

Media Advisory: CMU Engineering Students, University Police Kick Off 2011 Toys for Tots Drive

Contact: Chriss Swaney / 412-268-5776 / swaney@andrew.cmu.edu
     
Event: Carnegie Mellon University first-year engineering students Andrew Liu and Arjun Vijayakumar will join University Police to kick off the sixth annual U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Drive by showcasing historical artifacts and holiday letters from the Civil War, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.

"This project has become our service learning tradition for our First-Year Advisory Board (FAB). The FAB, which was designed to help freshmen adjust to the challenges and rigors of college life, is proud to participate in the toy collection again this year," said Kurt Larsen, assistant dean for undergraduate studies at CMU's College of Engineering. In the past, the engineering students' efforts awarded them a place on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

The event will feature bagpipers, representatives of the U.S. Marine Corps and the 116th Volunteer Infantry Civil War re-enactment team led by Michael Kraus, curator of the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Museum in Oakland. The re-enactment team will showcase an assortment of Civil War antiques and traditional gifts given during battle breaks in various Civil War skirmishes. The event is open to the public, and lunch will be served. All participants are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy.

When: 1 p.m., Friday, Nov. 4.

Where: Tung-Au Lab, Baker-Porter Hall off Frew Street, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15213.

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