The assistant professor of sport management and six students volunteered at the Great Golf Getaway, a charity event hosted on Oct. 9 by the Elon PA Student Society.
In recognition of national PA Week, Elon’s first-year physician assistant students organized the Great Golf Getaway to benefit Open Door Clinic of Alamance County, a healthcare clinic that provides access to medical care for the uninsured. Among those supporting the Oct. 9 charity benefit, which raised more than $14,000, were first-year students in Assistant Professor Mark Cryan’s COR 1100 Global Experience course.
According to Cryan, six students woke before dawn to help facilitate the charity event held at The Challenge Golf Club in Graham. Students set up tables and tents, checked in participants, and supported the event’s breakfast service, among other day-of responsibilities.
The student volunteers are all residents of the Sport Management and Media (SMM) Living Learning Community, the sports-centric floor located in Sloan Hall in the Historic Neighborhood. Cryan and Associate Professor Cara Lucia co-advise the SMM community, which sought out the service learning activity.
“I reached out the Kernodle Center, and this was one of the opportunities they shared with us,” Cryan said. “It was just a great fit, both because it was a sporting event, and it connects with the topics we discuss in this class.
“Plus, this was a great chance for these students to break out of the ‘Elon Bubble’ during their first semester.”
The student support was welcomed and appreciated, according to PA student Josh Pugliese, who helped organize the Elon PA Student Society fundraiser. “Dr. Cryan’s students made the event run so much more smoothly and helped us create a great event,” he said.
Established in 1990, the Open Door Clinic of Alamance County was founded by a group of doctors who saw a need for health care for the uninsured. The agency serves more than 500 patients with more than 2,500 visits a year and depends on volunteers, donations and fundraisers.
For more information on the Open Door Clinic, visit www.opendoorclinic.net or call 336-570-9800.