Neighbor's Growing Together 3rd Annual Rock-a-Thon

Neighbor’s Growing Together will have its 3rd Annual Rock-A-Thon on April 18.

The event, co-sponsored by Council of International Student Organizations, Adult Day Services and the Child Development Center for Learning and Research of the Department of Human Development, will be held behind Wallace Hall all day on April 18. Donations are encouraged.

“We want to be able to influence students and be able to provide opportunities for students to learn, and take what they learn here out to other sites. Mostly it’s about community outreach,” said Ila Schepisi, activity director for Adult Day Services. According to Schepisi, the Rock-A-Thon will raise funds for scholarships for students to study intergenerational facilitation programming and for those who cannot afford the services offered by the Child Development Center for Learning and Research and Adult Day Services. It will also raise awareness for the programs.

Those participating will collect sponsorships, and then rock in a rocking chair for one hour during the day.

Much of the planning of the event went to finding entertainment acts for very hour throughout day.

The entertainment includes Sweet Adelines, a women’s a cappella group, the guitar playing of Professor and Associate Department Head E.F. Benfield of the Virginia Tech Biology Department, a reading by Tristan Perry, a local children’s book author, and several more acts.

Also performing, at 9 a.m. is Hill and Veil, Virginia Tech’s Middle Eastern belly dancing group. Hali Plourde-Rogers, president of Hill and Veil, says they are ready for the performance, as the group practices twice a week all semester.

“I hope that the girls will have fun dancing and that the audience will enjoy seeing dance from another culture,” said Plourde-Rogers.

The Child Development Center for Learning and Research and Adult Day Services develops programming that is mutually beneficial for adults and children. It helps children and adults develop meaningful relationships with each other, exposes children to older adults, and teaches positive things about aging, according to Schepisi.

In the past two Rock-A-Thons, roughly $2,000 was raised each time.

The Rock-A-Thon is part of the university’s International Week, which goes from Friday, April 13 to Saturday, April 21.

The Rock-A-Thon event begins at 8 a.m. and goes until 6 p.m. For more information, contact Schepisi at schlepisi@vt.edu.