Circle K will hold their annual luminary event Sunday on the Quad. They will light up the night with candles on the Quad in an effort to get everyone in the Christmas spirit and raise illiteracy awareness. The event starts at sunset and will last until the candles burn out. They hold the luminary event every year the Sunday before finals to raise awareness for Reading is Fundamental. Cathy Gafford from Reading is Fundamental will speak at the event.
“I know the event has been going on forever,” said Stephanie Fox, a sophomore majoring in elementary education and the chairperson for Circle K. “My dad was a member of Circle K, and he did it when he was here.”
Over the past few years, Circle K has wanted to raise funds in addition to awareness. Luminary bags were sold for students to decorate before the event. The club asked for donations from alumni and local businesses. A used book dealer from Dothan donated more than 700 books. They plan to read to children and give out the books they collected.
“I am an avid reader. I love to read, and I had trouble learning how to read when I was little,” said Brittany Garner, a junior majoring in business and the public relations chair for Circle K. “I had people who came to my school, and they would just sit down with me and read me books. It inspired me to learn how to read, and that’s why the luminaries are special to me.”
Circle K is the world’s largest student-led collegiate service organization. The group is a collegiate extension of Kiwanis International, a service club for adults in the community.
The organization tackles multiple service projects with a number of different organizations like Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter, Arts n’ Autism, Al’s Pals, Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers Big Sisters. They also work with Kiwanis on an international campaign called The Eliminate Project, focused on eradicating tetanus in newborns and their mothers through immunizations.
“We all want to help people,” Fox said. “We all want to just try to make the world a better place.”
Circle K International emphasizes three tenets: service, leadership and fellowship.
President Michael Moore said the main thing he has learned from being a member of Circle K has to do with leadership and working with people daily.
“It also exposed me to a lot of Tuscaloosa’s issues,” said Moore, a junior majoring in biology and psychology. “I’m not from this area – I’m from north Atlanta – and I came in here with the mindset of ‘everything’s perfect,’ and I was in a college bubble. Circle K really popped that bubble and got me exposed to a lot of the trials that people have to go through. It really got me passionate about how to help them and what I can do in the community.”
Students are encouraged to share their favorite organization with Circle K leaders, and they will work to become involved with that organization.
Moore said last year a new member spoke to him about starting a partnership with Operation Smile. Through her passion she was able to start a chapter, and they have been working together for the past year and a half, Moore said.
“Typically when you are passionate about a service project, you can get other people who are also passionate about service projects to help you out with it,” Moore said.
Students can get involved by visiting their website ua.alabamacki.org or attending their meetings on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. in 3104 Ferguson Center.
