Walkathon for affordable housing
The 3-kilometer walk begins at 2 p.m., and all
proceeds will support Habitat’s Old North Village on the edge of the URI
Kingston campus.
Immediately following the walk, Rhode Island lifestyle brand Alex and Ani will host a free concert on the quadrangle by its musical partners, Colour of London. In addition to the concert, post-walk activities include family-friendly games, food, vendors and photo booths wired to social media sites.
“The ‘Pound the Pavement, Pound a Nail’ walk
is going to be the highlight of our spring fundraising efforts,” said Lou
Raymond, executive director of South County Habitat for Humanity. “We are
hoping that with the help of the URI community, we can finish Old North Village
and make two more families’ dream of owning a home a reality. With the addition
of the concert sponsored by Alex and Ani, we can really make this event
something special.”
All 24 fraternities and sororities at URI are
participating in the walk, totaling more than 500 students, and each chapter
has a goal of raising $3,000 to support Habitat for Humanity.
“This event is a great opportunity for Greek
life to get involved in supporting a great cause,” said Abby Campbell, the
PanHellenic advisor in the URI Office of Greek Life. “They’re always looking
for good causes to support. Last fall, all of the funds they raised during
their Philanthropy Week activities went to Habitat, so this event continues their
commitment to this great organization.”
Former American Idol contestant Jimmie Allen
and composer and guitarist Nate Woodall formed Colour of London in 2010. Based
in Nashville, they toured with the Idols of America Tour of
Japan in 2011.
Alex and Ani’s Designer Carolyn Rafaelian,
founder and creative director, and CEO Giovanni Feroce became early fans of
their music, featuring a signature song, Beautiful Day, for the
company’s advertising campaign, and Not Too Far Away for Alex
and Ani’s 2013 commercial spot, which played during the Super Bowl.
Currently, Alex and Ani presents the Path of
Life Tour featuring Colour of London at select Northeast universities and
colleges.
“Charity is a big part of Alex and Ani, and we
had created the Path of Life Tour to go to universities in the Northeast and
collaborate with them to create a dynamic concert experience embodying positive
energy, charitable spirit, community university spirit, and Greek life spirit,”
said Mark Coleman, Alex and Ani director of entertainment. “As we approached
URI, the Habitat walk came up in conversation and seemed like the perfect fit.
We are excited to be a part of this event supporting URI and South County
Habitat for Humanity.”
To register for the walk, contact Sara Duphily
at South County Habitat for Humanity at (401) 213-6711 or sara@southcountyhabitat.org or visit www.southcountyhabitat.org.