Eastern Students Organize Car-Smashing Fundraiser

Willimantic, CT (12/04/2017) — Written by Casey Collins

A group of Eastern Connecticut State University students organized one of the most unique fundraising events the campus has ever sponsored on Nov. 30. The students - Alexandra Kallgren (Dudley, MA), Nick Terry (Southington), Brandon Baro (Bristol, RI), Devin Belinski and Jared Buckley (Oxford, MA) - were tasked with creating an event for the Leadership and Problem Solving class they take with Gregory Kane, professor of kinesiology and physical education. The result: for only $2, any participant could unload their end-of-semester stress on a defenseless car for 30 seconds.

The car, which was supplied by Chuck and Eddie's Used Auto Parts in Southington, will not be hitting the road again anytime soon thanks to the turnout of Eastern students. More than 100 students showed up at the courtyard in front of the Fine Arts Instructional Center to give their all to the vehicle. At the end of the day, the event had raised more than $300.

Senior Kyle Chung sat behind the barrier, watching as his friend decimated the side door of the car with the 20-pound sledgehammer. "I think this stands out as one of the coolest events I've seen on campus," he said. "I've seen people wash cars for money, but this has to be the first time I've ever watched people destroy them for money."

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving more than 5,300 students annually at its Willimantic campus and satellite locations. In addition to attracting students from 163 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 26 other states and 20 other countries. A residential campus offering 40 majors and 65 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in an array of applied learning opportunities. Ranked the 25th top public university in the North Region by U.S. News and World Report in its 2018 Best College ratings, Eastern has also been awarded "Green Campus" status by the Princeton Review eight years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.