The Cornell University Elves Summer Backpack Program was started in the fall of 2007 when a first grade child went to school with all of her supplies in a plastic bag from a local grocery store.  Within that year, the program provided 284 new backpacks filled with school supplies to 12 area schools.  Since then, the program has expanded and now donates more than 500 backpacks each year to 25 schools. The NYSAES started to participate in the program in 2013. In its first year, the NYSAES community donated 34 backpacks to North Street School. The Station Club now serves as the liaison to the Cornell University Elves Summer Backpack Program. Each summer when the “Back to School” sales commence in local stores, the Station Club begins to raise donations for local schools in Geneva, New York. In 2015, a total of sixty-two backpacks were filled with school supplies and donated to West Street Elementary School and North Street Elementary School. If you would like to make a donation, there are two options.

1) Purchase a new backpack and fill it with the following items: 2) Donate $20 (cash or check) and we will do the shopping.  Checks should be written out to “The Elves.” New backpacks filled with school supplies and monetary donations can be dropped off at the following locations:luxurylite backpack For more information regarding the Cornell University Elves Backpack Program, please refer to their website ().red oxx laptop backpackFrom the opening slideshow featuring Cornell staff at work, through introductory remarks by Ulysses Smith ’14, chair of the Employee Assembly, who encouraged staff to “be bold” by using innovation and ingenuity to take the initiative to “do things differently,” to Interim President Hunter Rawlings’ focus on “One Cornell” – “get involved” was central to the 10th annual President’s Address to Staffdunder mifflin backpack

You are part of a very remarkable institution … with an enormous footprint and an enormous impact,” Rawlings told the audience of approximately 350 in Kennedy Hall, with about another 350 watching online.Rawlings, who for five years served as president of the Association of American Universities, noted Cornell is one of a few whose version of shared governance extends beyond the faculty to include staff and student constituent groups and board of trustees representation.“cowgirl tuff backpackWe want to have everyone involved,” he said, noting the perspectives of Cornell’s shared governance groups provide “good ideas, new ideas, reactions to things that we have done and that others have done.” dye backpack gw2Rawlings supports campus activism, he said in response to a question, when it results in change and reform.lbu backpack

He urged audience members to make their voices heard by completing the Employee Survey distributed to all staff last week. The senior leadership takes the results of the survey seriously, he said, and uses those results “to identify areas of concern, facilitate campuswide discussions of those concerns and explore solutions.”Rawlings described how campus involvement and collaboration are critical to “One Cornell,” an initiative he is promoting that has three components: re-examining the undergraduate curriculum universitywide; fostering deeper collaboration and unity across racial and ethnic divides; and tapping the power of the Ithaca campus and the campuses of Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Tech in New York City – “so that we can take advantage of each other’s strengths, collaborate in new ways and create synergies that go beyond anything we have achieved in the past,” Rawlings said.Staff members play an integral role in the latter two components, and this semester, for the first time, the new President’s Award for Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion will recognize the accomplishments of a staff member, manager or supervisor, Rawlings said.“

Staff members already have a great deal of experience with collaboration,” Rawlings said, noting about 600 staff have served on about 85 lean process improvement teams on the Ithaca campus and in New York City. Their efforts have improved workflow and made it possible to do more work that adds value, providing nearly $5.4 million in benefits to the university, he said.Staff collaborations have paid off in other ways as well, he said, noting Cornell Dining ranked third nationally in the “Best Campus Food” category in the Princeton Review this summer. Rawlings also noted that the Geneva campus and Cooperative Extension provide great examples of collaboration in their fulfillment of Cornell’s land-grant mission.And staff have collaborated across colleges through their participation in the United Way campaign, in the Cornell Elves and Backpack programs, and in the Emergency CARE Fund, which helps faculty and staff members cope with unexpected emergencies.“This is a great university largely because of what you contribute – every day, but also when the spirit moves you to do something generous for someone else.

It’s a big deal,” Rawlings said. “It’s important that we see it as part of our mission to help those who are less fortunate.”He added, “It is wonderful to be back at Cornell and see so many friends and be able to collaborate with faculty, staff and students at one of the world’s really, really great universities.” is a two-part community event hosted by Cornell University Athletics and Cayuga Radio Group. Proceeds from the two events will support the Food Bank’s BackPack Program in Tompkins County. The BackPack Program provides children who have been identified as being at risk for experiencing hunger with a pack of nutritious, kid-friendly, and easy to prepare food over weekends and breaks during the school year. Step 1: takes place on September 18, 2016 when Cornell University Athletics hosts a 5K Run and 1 Mile Fun Run. This family friendly event is open to everyday runners and walkers of all levels. The course is mostly flat and fast. All participants will receive a chip-generated finishing time with overall male and female, and age group placing awards.

WHAT 5K Run & 1 Mile Fun Run WHEN Sunday, September 18, 2016 WHERE Robert J. Kane Sports Complex, Cornell University Campus 7:30 am - Registration opens 7:30 am - Pre-race packet pickup 9:00 am - 1 Mile Fun Run begins 9:30 am - 5K Run begins 10:30 am - Post-run celebration HOST Cornell University Athletics Entry fee is $30 Every runner registered by 9/8/16 will receive an event t-shirt! $10 registration fee for all students (college and k-12) FUNDRAISE online with the help of family and friends who support your run to end hunger with a donation. not able to attend but want to donate to the event or a runner? Click here to download a paper registration form. Note: Even though you register with this form, you can set up a fundraising page online to collect donations. Share on social media with friends and family to get their support. Click here to download a larger version of the map Awards: Prizes for overall winners, male and female.

Age group prizes for the first two places in each age bracket, male and female: 5 and under, 6-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70 plus. Step 2: occurs on October 2, 2016 with Cayuga Radio Group’s Q-Country host, Chris Allinger who has previously supported the BackPack Program with his annual "Walkin the Country" fund drive. Entry fee is $30. First 100 people to raise $60 will receive an event t-shirt! WHAT  Hike with Chris (approx. 2 hours) followed by a Party in the Park WHEN Sunday, October 2, 2016 WHERE Robert H. Treman State Park 10:00 am - Registration opens at the Lower Park Pavillion 11:00 am - Hike begins 2:00 pm – Party in the Park There will be snacks, loads of fun, and live entertainment provided by Tink Bennett and Tailor Made, after the hike! HOSTS Chris Allinger and Cayuga Radio Group’s Q Country 103.7 not able to attend but want to donate to Chris Allinger?  Click here to download a paper registration form.