The regular workers at the animal shelter were excited to have the extra help Saturday.

Shelter worker Mike Riley said he loved having CMU volunteers.

“We’re able to get a lot more done,” Riley said. “It’s a great help and the animals need a chance to move around and go outside.”

About 100 students volunteered Saturday at nine different organizations for Be My Neighbor Day.

They raised $1,877 for Mount Pleasant organizations with their volunteering.

The different non-profit organizations students visited included the Isabella County Animal Shelter, 1105 S. Isabella Road; the Child and Family Enrichment Council; the Commission on Aging, 3480 S. Isabella; American Red Cross, 215 E. Broadway; and Wooden Rocker, 5785 E. Broadway.

The event lasted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and included a picnic for volunteers at the Warriner Mall.

BMND has been an annual event for several years, though it used to be run by the Student Government Association and was called the Big Event, said Amy Terry, Wyandotte senior and special events student coordinator, in an e-mail to Central Michigan Life.

Terry brought the program back after the Big Event was cut by SGA in 2006.

Owosso junior Ashten Armstrong volunteered at the animal shelter and was excited to work with the animals.

“I usually volunteer and I missed my own animals, so I thought it would be neat,” Armstrong said.

Kinde senior Jolene Tait said she enjoyed working with the animals as well.

“It’s a good event,” she said. “I like volunteering and the dogs deserve a little extra love.

Students can go to CMU’s volunteer Web site, cmich.edu/volunteer, to find more opportunities to volunteer at CMU and around Mount Pleasant.

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