Instead of curling up on the couch and catching up on TV shows Monday, a group of BGSU
students chose to rough the cold temperatures and give back to the community through the Martin Luther King
Jr. Day of Service Challenge.A group of about a dozen BGSU students, ranging from telecommunications to
finance and environmental policy majors, volunteered their time to help clean stalls, brush horses and
spruce up tack at Project H.O.P.E. on Poe Road. Project H.O.P.E. is a non-profit organization that provides
equine assisted therapies to people ranging in age from 3 to 60.Henry Wilkes, a sophomore digital arts major
from Chardon, said he decided to volunteer his time along with some of his fraternity brothers."I just
wanted to branch out and try something new," he said.Another volunteer, Adam Coldren, a senior history
and Asian studies double-major from Waynesburg, Pa., has participated in the Day of Service Challenge for
several years."This is the best thing I could have done today," Coldren said. "I love
animals."While on location, students also got to see a demonstration of the riding program and meet the
horses.Sandra Tebbe, director of Project H.O.P.E., said she hopes students take away something from the
experience."I am hopeful they will see what an incredible connection people have with horses and how
valuable that relationship can be," Tebbe said.Last year, Project H.O.P.E. served more than 1,400
children and families."Most of the people who come here have been in therapy three or four times and it
hasn’t worked," Tebbe explained to the students.The organization is heavily dependent on volunteers,
both from the community and BGSU.Students in two of Dr. Lara Martin Lengel’s communication classes are among
the BGSU student volunteers.Her environmental communication students will be developing a plan for manure
disposal and will also conduct community outreach for the organization.Working with Project H.O.P.E provides
her students with practical experience, a sense of engagement with the community and broader learning about
sustainability, Lengel said."I think more and more companies are putting greater emphasis on
sustainability initiatives." Such experience will benefit her students when applying for jobs, she
said.