Lexington senior is September Volunteer of the Month

RELEASED: October 18, 2007

DANVILLE, KY—Laura Hufnagle, a senior psychology major from Lexington, Ky., has been selected as Volunteer of the Month for September. She was nominated by fellow students for her fundraising efforts on behalf of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Hufnagle, an outfielder on Centre's softball team, enlisted the entire team's participation in the Race for the Cure five-kilometer run held in Lexington last month. In addition to her teammates, Hufnagle recruited other Centre students for the run at booths set up at Cowan Dining Common on campus and at EXPO (Centre's annual event that introduces students to the many campus organizations). She also designed T-shirts that she sold on campus.

In all, Hufnagle's first attempt at fundraising garnered more than $2,000.

"There were several things motivating me to participate in this cause," Hufnagle says. "I believe a majority of people are touched by breast cancer in some way."

Hufnagle says that she had a good family friend win her battle with breast cancer, and Centre softball coach Wendie Austin-Robinson has a close friend who is currently in the midst of her own battle with breast cancer.

"As a team, we thought this race would be a great way to come together to raise awareness and educate the Danville and Centre communities," she says. "This was just a menas to push ourselves, because even if we didn't want to run that morning, in the back of your head you think, 'I have no idea what these women go through, all the pains and struggles, and the least I can do is run this marathon in honor of those who fight and in memory of those who no longer have a fight.'"

The Volunteer of the Month award program at Centre recognizes some of the many students who provide service to the local community. Each year, around 80 percent of all Centre students volunteer in Danville and the surrounding area. The College encourages volunteerism with a community service day each year as part of orientation for first-year students.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

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