On Saturday, April 26, more than 100 Ashford University employees, faculty, staff, students, family, and friends donated their time to a series of community service projects around the nation. The event, dubbed “Heroes Day,” gave employees an opportunity to give back to their communities.

“At Ashford University, we are dedicated to improving lives and the communities we serve, and the overwhelming employee turnout at the Heroes Day events is a testament to that,” said Dr. Richard Pattenaude, president and chief executive officer at Ashford University. “It was amazing to see so many Ashford Heroes donating a few hours of their time over the weekend to show how dedicated Ashford is to making the world a better place.”

In Clinton, Iowa, home of the Ashford University campus, the Heroes Day focus was on a clean-up campaign. Ashford staff, faculty, and students picked up trash along a three-mile stretch of Millcreek Parkway.

Partnering with employees from Bridgepoint Education, more than 200 volunteers in San Diego headed to the Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Center to build 50 new bicycles for local youth.

“I had the honor of presenting the finished bicycles to an excited group of children,” said Dr. Pattenaude. “Some of them had never owned a bicycle before.”

In Denver, Ashford employees teamed up with staff and faculty from University of the Rockies at Mi Casa Resource Center. More than 40 Ashford and Rockies faculty, staff, and students helped to update the Center by landscaping, cleaning, and painting.

Heroes Day was not just for employees though and Ashford students across the country were invited to participate by volunteering in their own communities as part of Ashford’s S.T.A.R. (Sharing Time and Resources) volunteer program. In San Diego, a group of Ashford students volunteered together at the Payne Family Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego.

About Ashford University

Achievement belongs to all of us at Ashford University. By offering a traditional college campus as well as online degree programs, Ashford meets the diverse needs of individuals pursuing integrity in their lives and in their communities. Students may earn an associates, bachelor’s, or master’s degree online, while campus students in Clinton, Iowa may earn a bachelor’s degree. Whether on campus or online, Ashford students enjoy the same supportive community. For more information, please visit http://www.ashford.edu or call Shari Winet, Vice President of Public Relations, at 858.513.9240 x2513.