“Food Truck Thursday” at Fredonia was a rousing success, attracting long lines of students, faculty, staff and community members and raising over $1,100 for a study abroad scholarship.
Lloyd Taco Trucks, Anderson’s, The Great Foodini and Thai Me Up – all Buffalo-based vendors – were featured at the campus event held April 27 in the Jewett Hall parking lot and sponsored by the Office of International Education, with generous support from the Faculty Student Association.
“The energy at the event was a great booster for the end of the semester, and it was uplifting to see such a wide range of people attend - students, faculty, staff, families and residents from the community,” said Naomi Baldwin, director of the Office of International Education.
“The long lines spoke for themselves,” Dr. Baldwin added. “We estimate that more than 1,000 people participated in the event, making it the largest event that the Office of International Education has ever sponsored.”
Donations made by the food truck operators, which totaled $1,100, will be allocated to the Winch Scholarship in the Fredonia College Foundation that supports study abroad opportunities for students. Another $225 raised in a raffle will be donated to Journey’s End Refugee Services in Buffalo.
Leading the organization of the event were Maria Gordon, a senior Public Relations and Spanish major who was doing an internship in the Office of International Education, and Erin Willis, assistant director of Exchange and Study Abroad. “Maria and Erin really did the heavy lifting for this event,” Baldwin noted. Valuable support was also provided by Facilities Services, University Police, and the Office of Environmental Health and Safety and Sustainability.
“We are hoping to continue the food truck event to help fundraising and awareness of study abroad programs,” Baldwin said.
