Sunday, March 31, 2013

Help South County Habitat for Humanity on April 6

Walkathon for affordable housing

(URI News Release) Registration is open for South County Habitat for Humanity’s annual “Pound the Pavement, Pound a Nail” walkathon, which begins and ends at the University of Rhode Island quadrangle on April 6.  

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.