2009-11-09
Thanks to the donations of a local automobile dealer and group of proud alumni, the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College have a new vehicle that will be used for student services.
The new vehicle also has been decorated with images of Rio Grande students and logos for the institution, and will be used in parades and special events in the region. It will be easily recognizable on campus and in the community, and will benefit Rio Grande students in numerous ways.
Sardis Auto Parts, Inc., of Oak Hill and the Archon Alumni Association both made significant donations toward the project to purchase the new vehicle, and Rio Grande officials are very thankful.
Aaron Quinn, director of safety and student activities at Rio Grande, explained that Sardis Auto Parts worked with Rio Grande to help them find just the right vehicle to meet the needs of students, and then sold the vehicle to Rio Grande for a discounted price.
The Archon Alumni Association then helped Rio Grande pay for the images and Rio Grande logos to be placed on a wrap that covers much of the outside of the vehicle.
“I love it,” said Dean of Students Elaine Armstrong. She explained that one important use for the vehicle will be to transport students to different events. The many international students on campus, for example, often need taken to the airport or picked up from the airport, and the new vehicle will be perfect for this. Students often need to be taken to different locations for events and special projects, and the new vehicle can also help with this. In addition, the vehicle can carry supplies that will be used for student activities.
“Also, the wrap on it makes it look a rolling billboard for us,” Armstrong said.
The new vehicle will also be taken to special events where Rio Grande is recruiting students, as well as events for current students. The vehicle will also likely be used for parades in the community, alumni activities and for a wide range of programs.
The main reasons for the purchasing the new vehicle, though, are to help students get to and from different events, and to help carry supplies needed for the many different student activities held on and off campus.
Armstrong said that the new vehicle will benefit Rio Grande and its students in countless ways in the coming years, and she is very thankful for the donations that it possible for the university to obtain this important new piece of equipment.
For more information on student services or student activities at Rio Grande, call either Armstrong or Quinn at 1-800-282-7201.
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