As if to make life worse, not only do you have to cram for finals in the coming week, but for most, it’s also time to clean out your increasingly disastrous dorm room. For the past two years, the Dump & Run program has helped to alleviate these post-examination woes. As a means of simplifying student life, Dump & Run takes those belongings you otherwise would have thrown out and recycles them to be resold in the fall.
According to a Cornell press release, Dump & Run Inc., a national organization, has raised over $100,000 through sales at 20 different colleges and universities. Cornell’s chapter was founded in 2003 and has held two events.
“Dump & Run events at Cornell … have raised a total of $18,000 for local charities,” said Lauren Jacobs ’05, director of Dump & Run at Cornell. “[They] have rerouted 40,000 pounds of reusable items from the dumpsters and into the hands of people who can use them.”
All the proceeds from this year’s Dump & Run are being donated to three different charities: Cops, Kids, and Toys; the Women’s Advocacy Center and the Dream Factory.
“We’re getting a warehouse for everything and inventorying all the ‘merchandise’ that we get,” said Jonathon Doyle ’06, incoming director of Dump & Run at Cornell. “Throughout the next few weeks and throughout the summer, we have a bunch of people volunteering to help us out … people from shelters downtown and some people who need community service hours.”
Anyone can volunteer to help out with the event.
Starting May 9 and continuing until May 22, boxes will be placed all throughout campus in designated Dump & Run areas such as residence halls, the Straight, Day Hall and many others. For those who cannot bring their donations to the boxes, Dump & Run also provides a pick-up service. The actual sale will be held during orientation August 20 and 21, in Helen Newman gym, a change from last year’s venue of Rawlings Green in front of Appel.
“Indoors is just much easier to control and you don’t have to worry about the weather,” Doyle said. “We destroyed Rawlings Green last fall … I don’t think we’re allowed back on it.”
Dump & Run has been extremely popular among the student population.
“My best friend Dan bought me a shirt last fall from the Dump & Run for 50 cents,” said Justin Weitz ’07. “It’s my most favorite shirt now. I rarely take it off.”
For others, the stress of packing seems to have been slightly relieved.
“I have no idea how, but through the duration of this entire year, I’ve somehow managed to accumulate twice as much junk as I started out with,” said Talia Shani ’08. “I’m going to use the Dump & Run like whoa.”
Archived article by mily Gordon
Sun Staff Writer