The festive party, now in its 62nd year, welcomes 1,000 first and second graders from Dayton Public Schools for a magical evening. Each child is paired with a UD student and according to Lifka, it’s the biggest non-profit event in a single day on any college campus in the country.
This year’s party is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on December 5 and the community is invited to share in the fun.
Lifka’s committee is responsible for soliciting for and arranging the transportation for the giant Christmas tree that’s the focal point of the evening. Her committee decorates that tree, smaller trees throughout the campus, and puts up other campus-wide decorations.
“About 28 people plan the event overall and we have eight subcommittees,” said Lifka. “Our Community Outreach committee collects hats, mittens and socks for the children; we have volunteers that design and sell new t-shirts each year and our transportation committee plans the busing for the event and decides how the kids are going to get from their schools to campus and back.”
Various clubs and organizations sign up for slots and provide crafts and games. UD choirs participate and there’s a tree lighting.
How it began
The tradition of celebrating Christmas and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception dates back to 1964, when a group of students gathered and decided to celebrate Christmas before they left for the holidays.
In the early years, “Christmas on Campus” was only for UD students and faculty but when it came to the attention of UD students that many children might not have the opportunity to celebrate the Christmas holiday fully, they created a way to buddy with a child.
UD Alumni hold “Christmas off Campus” events across the United States and even around the world.
Here’s how our community can get involved:
• The students are looking for one tree that’s a member of the spruce, fir or pine family. It needs to be fairly full and approximately 30-feet tall. Professionals from BEST Tree Experts and Schumacher Crane Rental donate their services to cut down and transport the tree to the University in mid-November free of charge. Trees are preferably located within a 5-10 mile radius of the UD campus.
• If you have a tree you’re willing to donate, you’re asked to submit the information and a picture to the Decorations Committee in an email: decorationscoc@gmail.com or call (937) 229-3483. The application will be open until an appropriate tree is found. Two seats for the “Christmas on Campus” Mass will be reserved for the donating family.
• New hats, mittens and socks will be collected in upcoming months. We’ll keep you posted about where and when you can drop them off.
For more information visit the Instagram page @christmasoncampusud.
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Meredith Moss writes about Dayton-area nonprofit organizations and their specific needs. If your group has a wish list it would like to share with our readers, contact Meredith: meredith.moss@coxinc.com. Please include a daytime phone number and a photo that reflects your group’s mission.
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