While most of campus sleeps in or heads to Milne Library on Sundays, you can find the women of Knightline walking around Geneseo gathering cans and bottles for the Wounded Warrior Project. Until the end of November, Knightline will fundraise for this charity that helps fund treatments for physically or mentally wounded veterans in the line of duty and assisted the family of one of Knightline’s members.
Knightline used to limit fundraising to benefits for the team but chose to expand its efforts this year for the first time.
“A lot of other groups [volunteer] on campus, and it raises awareness not only of your organization but of the charity you’re supporting,” junior Keriann Dengos said.
As cocaptain alongside junior Lisa Cordara and senior Shannon Gruenauer, Dengos has stored approximately 2,000 cans and bottles that the team has collected so far in the basement of her offcampus house.
Knightline has never done a drive of this type before. The group chose it because it is simple but more fun than collecting money, and it allows them to interact with other organizations and the Geneseo community.
Prior to collecting, members call fraternities, sororities and other houses asking if they can pick up their recyclables and ask door to door in the town.
Most Greek and sport houses comply and even clean and bag their recyclables in advance to simplify the collection process.
Then, for about an hour, the girls pick up their loot, which provides a chance to connect with the residents of Geneseo.
“You kind of forget how many real people there are that live here,” Dengos said. “You don’t even know when you’re walking into a professor’s house.”
This form of charity works both ways, by reminding the students of the town they live in while providing the town a connection and group effort with the college that thrives within it.
“It’s all within the community,” Dengos said.
The team hopes to expand its fundraising this year and has already done a car wash and hot dog stand. Those proceeds will also go to a charity – which one is still undecided.
The team also plans to hold a second bottle drive in the spring semester and a “Day of Dance” with other dance organizations of campus, with profits set to go to a dance charity.
“We’re helping out, seeing the town, bonding,” Dengos said. “It feels good to be donating to something, not ourselves.”