Outreach

A team from GCU will participate in the annual Bike MS event hosted by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) Arizona Chapter. Bike MS 2010 is scheduled for March 27 and 28 in Florence, Ariz. The goal is to raise funds toward finding a cure for MS. The members of this year’s GCU for Joy team include Eric Liu, Office of Assessment; Brian McGuire, Office of Institutional Research; Kevin Thrasher, Center for Learning Advancement; team captain Jim Helfers, College of Liberal Arts; and Lance Hinderleider, COE Enrollment. There’s room for more to join the team. Participation requires a $75 registration fee and at least $250 in donations. Bike MS is a two-day event. Cyclists can ride on either day or both, and they can choose any distance from 30 to 160 miles over the two days. Helfers, a cycling enthusiast, became involved with the event after learning his sister had been diagnosed with MS. “I believe that this is an important event for GCU, since there are members of the organization who are afflicted with the disease, as well as many of us who have family members who suffer from it,” Helfers says on a fundraising page for the event. […]

By Doug Carroll Communications Staff Jean Marseille of Phoenix has seen plenty in his work as an intensive-care nurse at Banner Good Samaritan Hospital. But nothing prepared him for the devastation he witnessed on a weeklong relief trip to his native Haiti in the wake of the January 12 earthquake. Marseille, whose wife, Alicia, is a GCU Enrollment Manager, was on a plane to the Dominican Republic only days after the earthquake hit. From there, he bused into Port-au-Prince, where the Rev. Rick Frechette, a Roman Catholic priest, runs the free St. Damien Pediatric Hospital and a nearby orphanage. “When I got there, it was like nothing I had seen before,” says Marseille, 37, who grew up in the same orphanage. “All the buildings were damaged, and people had no place to go. I saw so many injured. There were things they couldn’t show on TV.” Marseille got busy, helping a team of a dozen volunteer doctors who saw more than 700 patients a day and worked around the clock with little rest. To support relief efforts coordinated by Frechette in Haiti, more than $25,000 was raised by GCU employees, students, alumni and friends — a sum that was matched […]

As summer approaches and students prepare to return home, get jobs or do whatever it is that college students do in the summer, several GCU students will put their personal ambitions on hold and commit themselves to a mission. The following students have signed up for mission opportunities in Kenya, the Dominican Republic and Germany.  Beth Nowatzki Junior – Nursing Ever since I served in Kenya in June 2008, God has placed a huge desire in my heart to help His children in need, especially in a medical sense. Adequate medical care and disease education are far too limited to people in Third World countries. I am a nursing student, so I feel it’s important to reach out to these people, provide the best care possible and equip them with the tools and resources to stay healthy. And while providing this much-needed care, people can be introduced to the ultimate healer, Jesus Christ. I am thrilled to be used by God and to be able to share His love with those in the Dominican Republic this summer. Our team will care for their physical and spiritual wounds.      Karissa Kelsey Junior – Athletic Training My inspiration for this trip began while […]

On February 27, 2010, GCU will open its campus to the Phoenix Convoy of Hope, which is a collaboration of local churches, businesses, community services and medical providers that provide a “day of hope” for the people of Phoenix. The Phoenix Convoy of Hope will provide the following to over 5,000 individuals from neighboring communities: Nearly 40,000 lbs of groceries Free medical screenings Health fair Free hair cuts Free lunch A Kids Zone Wholesome entertainment for the entire family GCU Volunteers Needed Volunteers are needed for set-up and for the day of the event (especially bi-lingual). Thursday, February 25 at 8 a.m – Setup Friday, February 26 at 8 a.m – Setup Saturday, February 27 at 7:30 a.m – Event For event day volunteers, there will be a Volunteer Rally and Orientation at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 26. If you would like to volunteer, email Darcy Morg at DarcyMorg@gmail.com. Donations Accepted If you can’t volunteer your time and would like to contribute, we are accepting donations to purchase bikes for the children who attend the event. Please make checks out to the GCU Alumni Foundation and deliver them to Pastor Mik at the Student Life Offices in the Student […]

By Fran Roberts, R.N., Ph.D. In February, as our thoughts turn to hearts of all sizes and shapes, the American Heart Association (AHA) invites us to take charge of our heart health during National Heart Awareness Month.  GCU promotes wellness and preventive health among our students, faculty and staff, and we are proud to take a stand against heart disease, our nation’s number one killer.  I am excited to announce a three-year partnership with the AHA to sponsor the Go Red For Women® awareness campaign, which kicks off this week.  As chair of this campaign for Phoenix, I urge you to get involved in a number of special activities we are sponsoring on our campus and in our community aimed at raising awareness of heart disease.  If you are an online student, spend some time evaluating your lifestyle and those of loved ones.  If you haven’t already, commit to starting some heart-healthy habits!  Check out some heart health awareness events in your local community, or plan one yourself! Wear Red Friday, February 5:  Celebrate National Wear Red Day!  Show your support by wearing a favorite piece of red clothing! Watch GCU’s Go Red Video: Watch this thought-provoking Go Red awareness […]

A major beneficiary of GCU’s special Haitian relief fund is St. Damiens Pediatric Hospital, which is operated by Father Rick Frechette. Below, Father Rick provides a first-hand update on the conditions at the hospital and how your donations are helping the people of Haiti. Watch for future updates in this blog. Dear friends, We are very appreciative of your concern, prayers and support. Today the workers started to break up and haul off the tons of cement and iron that used to be our Fr. Wasson Center in Petionville. It is very important to us that this location is cleaned up and a new initiative is started there. I still admire the teams of 20 and 30 people who dug without stopping until they found Dr. Castro, Erin, and the bodies of Molly and Ryan. We are not sure what we will rebuild there yet, but for sure we will make a prominent memorial dedicated to Molly and Ryan, and to all of our Haitian staff and friends who died elsewhere in the tragedy. We estimate that we are missing about 20% of our Haitian staff. Some have gone to the United States, some are dead and some are still […]

January 27, 2010 To donate by phone: 888.201.8880 To contact us by mail: Friends of the Orphans 134 North LaSalle Street Suite 500 Chicago, IL 60602-1036 Mail-in donation form Note: Effective January 22, 2010, per the IRS, monetary donations for Haiti relief made between January 11 and March 1, 2010, may be deducted on 2009 tax returns. Read more. If you sponsor a child in the Dominican Republic or Haiti, please click here for a Godparent Update. Thank you to everyone for your support and gifts. Offering Immediate Help Thanks to the generosity of thousands of supporters, we have already provided Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos/Nos Petit Frères et Soeurs (NPH/NPFS) Haiti with: • Over $500,000 in cash • Medical supplies, food and water • Volunteer first responders Read More Celebrities Attend Special Fundraiser Russell Simmons (left) and others attended an event hosted by MODELINA and SPiN New York and led by Susan Sarandon on January 21. The event raised approximately $20,000. Read More Other events are being held around the country. Visit our Events page for the latest information. Helping Haiti’s Orphans With the support of Friends of the Orphans, NPH International is in the initial stages of a program to […]

As communicated last week, GCU has set up a link to collect monetary donations for Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Friends of the Orphans) in Haiti, to provide disaster relief for earthquake victims. Senior management has announced that GCU will match all monies donated dollar for dollar up to a total of $25,000. Father Rick Frechette, the on-site National Director of the organization, was featured on ABC News discussing the country’s dire needs for medical care, food and shelter. Frechette runs the organization’s orphanage, educational/vocational programs, and St. Damien, the only free children’s hospital in Haiti. Injured children and adults have been pouring into the hospital since the earthquake struck on Tuesday. To watch this story, please go to http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/HaitiEarthquake/haiti-earthquake-doctors-fight-save-children/story?id=9570393 Please Note: The video does contain graphic images.) St. Damien has been sharing its medical supplies with other relief workers and facilities, and ran out of supplies Thursday night. If more supplies don’t arrive in Haiti soon, there will be a significant increase in the number of deaths, Frechette said. Other hospitals and relief workers in Haiti also report that they are overwhelmed by the number of victims and are desperate for additional support. Several GCU members have been personally affected, including […]

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a major earthquake struck 10 miles Southwest of Port-au-Prince. The people of Haiti have been in Grand Canyon University’s prayers and on our hearts since news of the devastating earthquake broke. We know that the families of several GCU members have been personally affected, including an employee and a student. One of our GCU enrollment managers and her husband have a direct relationship with Father Rick Frechette, on-site National Director in Haiti for Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Friends of the Orphans), who runs an orphanage, educational/vocational programs, and the only free children’s hospital in Haiti. We have been in direct contact with Father Rick by satellite telephone. One way we can most efficiently help these victims immediately and in the longer term is through monetary donations. Fr. Rick assures us that 100 percent of the donations will go directly to the disaster victims served by his ministry. Senior management has announced that GCU will match all monies you donate dollar for dollar up to a total of $25,000. It is hoped that our community of students, employees and alumni will generously support this much-needed outreach effort. All donations are tax-deductible and will be very much appreciated […]

GCU committed to a partnership with the Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI) for 2010. The organization uses sports to encourage Native American youth to further their education with college mentor programs and scholarship opportunities. “With our focused Native American outreach, our rejuvenated men’s basketball program and our successful women’s program, this partnership is ideal in helping us broaden our relationships with the Native American communities and foster the growth of these talented athletes,” says GCU CEO Brian Mueller. NABI is the only nationally recognized NCAA certified Native American basketball tournament. The next Invitational is July 6-10, 2010. It will feature 64-80 teams of male and female, Native American student athletes from throughout the U.S. and Canada. NABI now operates under the newly formed NABI Foundation as a non-profit organization. In addition to its Invitational tournament, the organization will hold mini tournaments on reservation lands. The addition of a life skills curriculum will help the organization support student-athletes through high school and into college. “Grand Canyon University Native American programs met the unique needs of our athletes,” says NABI Foundation CEO GinaMaria Scarpa. “Their programs go the extra mile to make sure our students get the support and guidance needed to […]