Volunteers at the eighth annual Panther Service Day Saturday participated in tornado simulation exercises, helped the elderly, made toys for shelter animals and cleaned up the community.

Nine students from the Association of Honor Students volunteered with the American Red Cross for a shelter operations and simulation exercise.

“We signed up for Service Day earlier, but this opportunity came up recently,” said Jessica Klaus, co-philanthropy chair for AHS. “The tornado simulation just seemed more unique.”

Each student was assigned a character to role-play in the case of a natural disaster to help prepare American Red Cross response volunteers. Panther Service Day began in 2003 as a way for students to give back to their community in a way that is fun for them.

Now, eight years later, student government and Student Community Service have helped to make Panther Service Day into a large-scale event with more than 20 volunteer opportunities for hundreds of students, alumni, staff and community members.

“This is the biggest (Panther Service Day) ever,” said Michelle Martin, a member of student senate. “We have 100 more volunteers than last year and we’ve raised more money.”

Panther Service Day began with a free brunch for all volunteers followed by a welcoming ceremony featuring music from the pep band.

Both Mayor John Inyart and Student Body President Michelle Murphy spoke at the welcoming ceremony to thank the volunteers for coming out.

“If making people do community service is the only way to get it done, fine,” Murphy said. “But (the volunteers) have proved that’s wrong.”

Murphy also volunteered for the day as the group leader for the YMCA project.

“We basically help them do some spring cleaning and get organized for the summer,” she said.

Eric Wilber, student executive vice president, helped organize Panther Service Day and also volunteered as the head of trash pickup.

“We clean up all of Charleston,” Wilber said. “We go down to the square and past Carman.”

Panther Service Day is also an opportunity for different groups of the community to come together.

“(Panther Service Day) instills in residents that students can have a positive influence on the community,” Inyart said. “Today shows that giving back is the right thing to do.”

Kate Kelleher can be reach at 581-7941 or kmkelleher@eiu.edu.