Conference & Expo

Join the Student Leadership Team in making a difference to a child

Unwrapped toys brought to the Annual Conference will be donated to local hospitals

Join other NIRSA Members in making a difference to children at this year’s Annual Conference. The NIRSA “Make A Child Smile” program will continue this year as members donate toys that will be delivered to Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul and the Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can be a part of this heart-warming event by bringing an unwrapped toy with you to the 2007 Annual Conference in Minneapolis and placing it in the collection bin.

The NIRSA Make A Child Smile program is not affiliated with the national Make A Child Smile organization. The program kicked off at the 2000 NIRSA Annual Conference in Providence, Rhode Island. Sam Hirt, 2000 NIRSA President, teamed up with 2000 Conference Host Committee Chair Art Tuveson and NIRSA Executive Director Kent Blumenthal to initiate this program and make the Association’s first donation to a children’s hospital, the Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence.

“I have always loved children, and when I was President-elect and then President in the 1997-2000 era, I wanted our Association to give something back to the cities that hosted our NIRSA Annual Conference,” said Hirt. “Providence and the children’s hospital there was a great beginning to get this Make A Child Smile thought and program off the ground,” he continued.

NIRSA is still giving back to children’s hospitals in conference host cities. Thanks to our Association’s leadership and member support, hundreds of toys have been donated over the past seven years.

The Student Leadership Team decided this past June at their retreat in Corvallis that they were going to make strides to expand the program. They have worked very hard to raise awareness and participation throughout the membership and have found success in doing so. Since their commitment, they’ve raised $2,425 in donations from members across all six regions. The money raised will be used entirely to purchase toys in Minneapolis to donate to the children’s hospitals. This is expected to be the biggest donation in the program’s history thanks to the Student Leadership Team and all their hard work.

Amy Jo Jenkins, NIRSA National Student Representative, said, "The past few months, I have been overwhelmed by our members' generosity to give back to the community (at the Annual Conference). Each conference and workshop this year wanted to raise more money than the last. But what impressed me most was not the amount of actual money raised, but the number of members who donated. We still have a few conferences before the Annual Conference in Minneapolis, so our total may increase again. The SLT has been working hard to ensure members are aware of the program and have the opportunity to get involved. A huge thank you to everyone who has assisted through donations, volunteering and more.”