Christmas on Campus facts for kids
Christmas on Campus is a super fun yearly event at the University of Dayton! It's a special day where kids get to visit the campus and celebrate Christmas. This event has grown to be one of the biggest single-day volunteer events on a university campus in the whole country. University students team up with children from the area and treat them to exciting holiday shows, cool displays, and yummy food. It happens every year on December 8th, which is also the day of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Christmas on Campus is a huge deal for the University of Dayton, and there's even a student group dedicated to planning and running it! Many people think it's a really important part of the campus spirit.
How Christmas on Campus Started
The idea for Christmas on Campus began way back in 1962. Back then, it was called "Operation Joy." About 60 children, aged 4 to 12, were invited to a Christmas party hosted by the senior students.
In 1963, an event called Christmas on Campus was held for the first time. But this one was just for students to celebrate before their Christmas break.
The two ideas came together in 1966. That's when children were invited to the Christmas on Campus event. The very first combined event in 1966 had 275 children attending!
The person who started Christmas on Campus was Eleanor "Ellie" Ann Kurtz. She sadly passed away in 2009 at 82 years old. Ellie ran the event every single year until 1994, only missing it twice.
What Happens Now
In 2017, Christmas on Campus celebrated its 54th year! A lot of planning goes into this big event. The work is split among 8 different teams, called committees. Each committee has special jobs to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Here are the committees and what they do:
- School Outreach Committee — This team helps bring children to the event. They also pair up Dayton students with the children.
- Community Outreach Committee — This group raises money for the event. They also plan fun activities for students and the Dayton community.
- Decorations Committee — These creative people make and put up all the decorations around campus. They also pick and decorate a huge Christmas tree!
- Entertainment Committee — This team hires professional performers. They also work with other student groups to plan shows and activities for Christmas on Campus.
- Finance Committee — This committee handles all the money for the Christmas on Campus group.
- Hospitality Committee — This team sends out invitations and thank-you letters. They also make and sell special Christmas on Campus T-shirts.
- Publicity Relations Committee — This group spreads the word about the event. They also plan a "kick-off" day, which happens 30 days before the main event. They also ask for donations.
- Transportation Committee — This team makes sure children travel safely to and from campus. They also help children meet up with their student buddies.
Christmas off Campus
Christmas off Campus is another event that grew from the original Christmas on Campus. It's for former students, called alumni.
In 1990, Brian and Renai Lowry helped start the first Christmas off Campus event. It was held by the University of Dayton's St. Louis alumni group. Now, this event has spread to many other groups of UD alumni across the country.
Many Christmas off Campus events are similar to the main event. They create a fun Christmas experience for children. These events also raise money for important community groups. Some of these groups include the Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Covenant House, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Because of this great work, Woman's Day magazine even featured Christmas off Campus in 2004! They called it one of "31 fun activities to keep kids busy over the holidays."
