ASU day of service draws record number of student volunteers

The 14th annual Devils in Disguise event last Saturday was a picture of success, as a record number of students from Arizona State University – more than 1,600 – came out to volunteer their time and efforts.

The event also kicked off the first annual Sun Devils Unite Week of Philanthropy to help raise awareness across the ASU community about the Valley of the Sun United Way.

Devils in Disguise has grown dramatically. What began in 2001 as a way for students to give back to their communities has quickly become ASU's largest student-organized day of community service. Over the last year, alone, student participation in Devils in Disguise has increased nearly 70 percent, with students representing the ASU Colleges at Lake Havasu City and the Downtown Phoenix, Polytechnic, West and Tempe campuses.

A dedicated team of student leaders worked hard this year to get added support from student organizations.

"We were excited to see the increase of participation this year as more student organizations signed up to host volunteer locations," said Lauren Bacon, a service intern for Changemaker Central Student Leadership Team. "We received great support from fraternities, sororities and service-oriented clubs."

Devils in Disguise served 40 service organizations from throughout the state, including Arizonans for Children, Escalante Community Garden, PHX Renews, Valley of the Sun United Way, City of Tempe, City of Phoenix and St. Vincent De Paul.

Each student started the day with a free breakfast, T-shirt and bus ride to a service site. The day ended with lunch, entertainment and the satisfaction of making a difference in the community.

"It was so cool to see a 20-year vacant lot transform into beautiful gardens," said Emilee Eikren, a student from ASU's Barrett, the Honors College, majoring in justice studies and sociology. "I volunteered at PHX Renews during the Clinton Global Initiative University last Sunday, and the best part about Devils in Disguise was being able to come back and volunteer with my closest friends."

"Volunteering with Devils in Disguise was a great reminder of the difference a group of people can make in the lives of others," said Rebecca Stelfox, a psychology and Spanish major.

Devils in Disguise is a signature program of Changemaker Central, a student organization on campus that empowers students to apply their education, expertise and passion for positive social progress and life-long civic engagement.