Hogs Care Week to Promote Random Acts of Kindness

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The Arkansas Alumni Association and the University of Arkansas Center for Community Engagement are co-sponsoring Hogs Care Week from Feb. 24-March 1 to encourage random acts of kindness.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Alumni Association and the University of Arkansas Center for Community Engagement are proud to co-sponsor the second Hogs Care Week from Feb. 24 through March 1. The official kick-off is at 11:40 a.m. Monday, Feb. 24 at the corner of Dickson Street and Garland Avenue, outside Brough Commons.

The purpose of Hogs Care Week is to bring the University of Arkansas family together through random acts of kindness to help foster the culture of giving and service that already exists within the Razorback community. Anyone can participate. Last year, more than 1,000 people took part in the first Hogs Care Week. Razorbacks cleaned up parks, rebuilt nature trails, read to elementary school classrooms, sent school supplies to children in the Arkansas Delta and even dug a freshwater well for a needy family in the jungles of Cambodia. A random act of kindness could simply mean giving someone a ride or putting money in someone else’s parking meter.

Participants are asked to “share the care” by posting their stories, pictures and videos via social media using #HogsCare. Throughout the week, the Hogs Care website at www.HogsCare.com will feature a real-time feed of acts of kindness around the world.

“We’re very excited to roll out the second annual Hogs Care Week. It was a great success last year, and we saw so many great acts of kindness done in honor of the University of Arkansas,” said Angela Oxford, director of the Center for Community Engagement. “We believe more students will participate this year, and we’re thrilled to have student groups who have already come forward to host Hogs Care tables throughout the week to spread the word and share acts of kindness!”

One of those groups is the Student Alumni Association, which will hand out hot chocolate from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Arkansas Union Mall.

Hogs Care Week is a central piece of the Alumni Association’s Helping like a Hog program. Started in 2011, Helping like a Hog is designed to provide resources, planning and communications support to alumni groups around the globe who are looking to do good things in their communities.

“Hogs Care Week is an amazing time of community for the Arkansas Alumni family,” said Heath Bowman, associate director for regional programs. “No matter where in the world you happen to be during Hogs Care Week, you can join in. It can be something as simple as buying a cup of coffee for the person behind you in line, or a commitment of time to serve those in need in your local area during the week. The hope of Hogs Care Week is that it will bring Razorbacks together, near and far, to illustrate the spirit of kindness and service that binds us all together.  This week helps to show what a positive force our students, alumni and friends are for their communities around the world.”

For more information about getting involved, visit www.HogsCare.com.