Stockton Community Day Strengthens Ties in Atlantic City
The Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University set up mini easels for children and students to paint pumpkins or anything else they wanted during the Party in the Park in O'Donnell Park in Atlantic City on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Atlantic City, N.J. – Nearly 300 Stockton University students, faculty, staff and community members joined forces across seven Atlantic City neighborhoods on Oct. 24 for the university’s fifth annual Community Day Cleanup and Party in the Park.
The annual event brings Stockton and its community partners together to beautify city neighborhoods, strengthen relationships and celebrate the university’s connection to Atlantic City.
Patrick Ford, of Atlantic City, picks up trash during the cleanup on Tennessee Avenue in the Orange Loop section of the city.
For Atlantic City resident Patrick Ford, who volunteered to clean up the Orange Loop neighborhood, the event represents Stockton’s growing presence in the community.
“I’m a big proponent of being of service and this is my community now. This is where I live,” said Ford, who lives near the Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall. “I want to see the city clean, and I think it’s great that Stockton does this. When I grew up it was a small school, now it’s a big university, and it’s good to see it thriving.”
Tennessee Avenue in the Orange Loop was one of seven city neighborhoods included in the cleanup. Brian Jackson, Stockton’s vice president for Community Engagement, said about 30 groups participated in the Oct. 24 event, including South Jersey Industries, Atlantic City Electric, the Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City and the Chelsea Economic Development Corporation.
“Since we’ve started this program, we’ve been able to really develop some strong relationships and ties to members of this community – the residential community, the business community and the civic community here in Atlantic City,” he said. “It gets not just Stockton students off our campus and into Atlantic City, but it also gives residents an opportunity to engage with us. It beautifies our community, and it strengthens our role as an Anchor Institution.”
Junior Qimmaya Dawson, a Psychology major from Wall Township, spent the morning picking up trash around the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University with five fellow Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority members.
“I like to do community service. I’ve lived in Atlantic City in the dorms. I go to school here and I feel like these are my people and I’ve got to give back,” she said.
After the cleanup, volunteers and residents gathered in O'Donnell Park, adjacent to Stockton's Atlantic City campus, for the Party in the Park. The community celebration featured a petting zoo, pumpkin painting, live music, outdoor games, food trucks and vendor booths.
-- Story and photos by Mark Melhorn
