By Julia C. Turner, Office of Media Relations
Each year, College of Business and Behavioral Science professor Russell Purvis gives his Project Management 411 students a large-scale assignment to design and oversee a service project. This kind of experience helps students think critically and work toward goals while developing planning and communication skills.
This year, several teams of students have collaborated to enhance synergies to help two importance causes. The first project, “Purple Paw” will benefit deployed troops stationed overseas. Working to incorporate Clemson’s Nov. 23 Military Appreciation football game against the Citadel Bulldogs, Purple Paw will hold a donation event on the main campus and Clemson at the Falls (CATF) in Greenville to raise money, supplies and ultimately morale for those far from home. The second project will assist Clemson Community Care with food and money donations to purchase food for families within the community needing assistance.
Starting Nov. 18, both projects will station bins at the Cooper Library and at the CATF campus, to collect supplies that will be either packaged and sent overseas after the game or taken to Clemson Community Care. In addition, bins will be staffed from 10 a.m. until kickoff for donations on game day at Sirrine Parking lot and Littlejohn Coliseum. See the complete list of potential donation items below.
In addition to collecting supplies, the Purple Paw team will sell wristbands and will collect $1 donations to sign an appreciation banner the week prior to the game. This banner, which is hoped to be completely covered in signatures, messages and words of encouragement, is to raise money, awareness and the spirits of the troops, who welcome the gratitude sent from home. Staff, faculty, students, alumni and Clemson or Citadel fans are encouraged to join in on this large-scale project benefiting those risking their lives to ensure our freedom.
The appreciation banner will be staffed from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on the Cooper Library Bridge from Nov. 18 until Nov. 22, and will be sent to the troops to show our appreciation.
Gifts: Two footballs signed by football team players (not every team member could sign) and two footballs signed by Dabo Swinney will be drawn from tickets given to contributors during the staffed hours.
For more information, contact Russell Purvis at rlpurvi@clemson.edu.
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SUGGESTED CARE PACKAGE ITEMS FOR PURPLE PAW
- Canned items
- Condiments (e.g., seasoning, garlic salt, hot sauce, and salad dressing)
- Ground coffee (if they have a coffee-maker be sure it’s unflavored ground coffee)
- Microwavable foods
- Powdered drink mix singles
- Toiletries
- Suggested fun-time materials (e.g., balls, batteries, board games, playing cards)
- Clothing (hats, bandanna, socks, women’s sport bras and panties)
WHAT CANNOT BE SENT: Pork products, alcohol, pornographic materials, liquid hand sanitizer, or aerosol cans (they may explode). Do not send products in glass containers (unless they are bubble-wrapped a few times. Package all food items that may leak in zip-lock bags. Put all liquid items in a zip-lock bag. Due to the extreme heat, chocolate is not mailed during the summer months.
SUGGESTED FOOD ITEMS FOR CLEMSON COMMUNITY CARE
- Canned food items (e.g., spaghetti sauce, soup, canned vegetables and fruit, pork and beans, and bags of rice and dried beans)
- Pasta
