RELEASED: Aug. 1, 2002

DANVILLE, KY—This past academic year Centre's Greek organizations raised a record amount of money through philanthropic activities. The spirit of service doesn't end when Centre students are handed their diplomas.

Young alumni from Centre participated in a service project in Louisville on Saturday, July 27. The group helped to refurbish rooms at the Beacon House, a residential after-care facility for individuals with substance abuse problems.

Centre graduate Don Blackburn '69 and his wife, Jeanne, founded the Beacon House. The facility can treat 34 residents ages 18 and older and requires a minimum three-month stay. It offers 24-hour support, group meetings and individual and family counseling. To help ease back into the real world, residents work 20 hours a week.

"It's one of the more rewarding service projects that I've worked on, including the ones I participated in while at Centre," said Brian Herzig '01, who runs his own private business in Louisville. "It was very hands-on. In a short time you saw an immediate impact."

The young alumni worked with outgoing patients of the Beacon House to prepare the rooms for incoming patients.

"It's a really nice facility," said Herzig, who holds a degree in economics from Centre. "The people there have fallen on hard times, but they appreciate the environment of the Beacon House. And we worked with people who truly appreciated what we were doing. It was definitely cool. One of the best things Centre's Alumni Association can do is offer projects like this one."

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