The community service event, a staple of Homecoming week, has endured a last-minute alteration to cater to the ongoing needs related to the Sept. 11 attacks.

The original event involved teaming organizations participating in Homecoming with area charities to do volunteer work, Diana Montgomery, Pemberton Hall Council president, said.

The event then morphed into “Sweetest Service Day” and finally evolved into “America Rising Relief Fund Drive,” an ongoing collection drive spanning two weeks, Shara Koch, Homecoming coordinator, said.

“We’re encouraging the organizations to raise money for five different charities,” Koch said.

Organizations, including greek fraternities and sororities, registered student organizations and residence halls, are collecting for four national charities involved with the Sept. 11 attacks.

The charities are the World Trade Center School Relief Children’s Fund, American Red Cross, United Way and the New York Fire Fighters 9/11 Disaster Relief Fund, she said.

“We tried to use a variety instead of (the money) all going to the same place,” she said.

Money raised for the fifth charity, Local Prevention Breast Cancer Fund, will be used for cancer prevention, including paying for mammograms for individuals in the area unable to afford one, Koch said.

“Each organization can donate however much to these five different causes,” Koch said. “The total amount will be split equally between the five charities.”

Koch said it is preferred that each organization hold fundraisers or go out to can-shake on campus, rather than just write a check.

“We’re trying to get the `community’ back in `community service,'” she said.

Montgomery said Pemberton Hall has a bucket sitting at the front desk office for collections.

She said originally, the homecoming committee planned to have members of organizations go work for several hours at local charities for the community service event.

“I wish they would have kept what they had originally,” she said. “You’d actually be out helping in the community-not just giving money.”

Koch said the drive is not a competition. “Points will be awarded to organizations who participate, but there’s no `who can give the highest.’ We didn’t set any limit or minimum,” she said.

She said the purpose behind the drive is to give back to the Charleston community and “to do our part as Americans.”

The drive began Oct. 3, and all checks must be turned into the Student Life office by Friday.