the Informer

It is an exciting event when the community and the university join together to create a day of fun and a sense of fulfillment, and that is what Community Day does for Hartford.

In years past, the University has put together a day for children, middle-aged people and senior citizens in the community to come onto the university campus and participate in prepared events.

On Saturday, April 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m, this year’s Community Day will have many different types of events for everyone to enjoy. The day includes no parking charge, no admission charge, and every activity is free of charge.

Jon Easterbrook, the director of marketing communication and the man in charge of Community Day, explains, “It is a day to invite the community to take part with 50 different varied events.” Roughly 3,000 people gather each year to enjoy the day.

Some activities for children include a petting zoo with mini goats, sheep, lambs, rabbits and alpacas. There will also be a kid’s zone including bounce amusements, sand art, balloon artist and a juggle joy circus workshop.

The physical therapy department also puts together a bike rodeo and safety clinic. It allows children to have a good time while learning the importance of being safe on a bicycle.

For baby boomers, this year the university is celebrating Mark Twain’s Triple Anniversary: Twain was born 175 years ago, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” was published 125 years ago, and Twain died 100 years ago.

Because of this celebration, there will be a marathon reading from the works of Mark Twain, a Mark Twain house exhibit and jumping frogs to collaborate the theme of this year’s Community Day.

Lee Peters, the vice president of student affairs, will also be performing at Community Day with his band, The New Band! They will be located by the Harry Jack Gray Center in the amphitheater, and everyone can come and listen to the music.

Easterbrook stated that the university is founded as a private university with a public purpose, so this helps the community get a better feel of what the university’s goal for the community is.

He noted, “People who live around the university have never been on the campus,” so this gives them a great opportunity to gather as a community and a university to “mingle with [the] community at large.”

Because of all the activities that arise each year, “more and more student groups are sponsoring activities,” said Easterbrook. Community Day makes this very beneficial to invite people from all types of student organizations to participate.

Though the university is hoping for a beautiful day outside, whether it is a nice day or raining, Community Day will still continue with the same times. The activities will remain but everything will be moved to a dry location inside. The event will still continue for the university and the community.

The university is looking forward for this year’s Community Day to bring all people of the surrounding towns together. The students and faculty will be helping all throughout the campus to bring life to this day. For any unanswered questions for what the day will provide, go to www.hartford.edu/cday or contact Jon Easterbrook at Easterbroo@hartford.edu.

An earlier version of this article listed the name of Lee Peters’ band as Back in Time. It is now “The New Band!” We regret the error.