Circle K hosted its 'Hand on a Van' competition this past Sunday in the Merillat parking lot. (Photo by Anthony Spangler)
Adrian College’s community service-based organization, Circle K, hosted a ‘Hand on a Van’ event this past Sunday at noon in the Merillat parking lot to raise money for Habitat for Humanity.
Rules were simple: pay a $5 entry fee and the person who keeps their hand on the van the longest win. Students were also allowed five-minute breaks for a $2 charge after the entrance fee.
With only three participants, the event went poorly for the group. After one student gave up, the remaining two fought for the grand prize: a pair of Red Wings hockey tickets, a parking pass and a pass to the Olympia Club for March 13.
Freshman James Campbell was one of the three students to participate in the event.
He said, “I wanted to participate in this event because I’ve seen these things before. I’ve never been to a [Red] Wings game before, but I watch them a lot on TV. I [also] participated to help out Habitat for Humanity and Circle K, but I wanted to win those Red Wings tickets.”
Freshman Chris Pokladek, the other final contestant, participated for a different reason.
He said, “It sounded fun and it’s for a great cause. I thought it was an interesting experience. I am glad that the weather was great and I didn’t have to stand out there for more than three or four hours.”
After almost two hours, Campbell and Pokladek, who were both determined to win, decided to split the pair of tickets and go to the scheduled hockey game together.
“I enjoyed the experience because I made a new friend out of the situation and I was able to help the community,” Campbell said. “Now I get to go to a Wings game. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon,” Campbell said.
Despite the fact the event only raised $15 for Habitat for Humanity, junior and Circle K treasure Alyssa Allen believes the competition was a positive experience.
“I thought that it was a really good idea, and it didn’t cost us anything since the tickets were donated,” she said. “We would have liked to have had a better turn out, but anything that we can give to Habitat for Humanity will be helpful.”
According to junior and vice president of the group, Jennifer Dawson, Circle K is “an internationally-recognized collegiate service organization.”
The group participates in community service opportunities on the national and international level. Meetings are held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Hickman Boardroom in Caine Student Center.