Good Deeds – James M. Day

Feeding the Embry-Riddle Cats 2021-2022

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach campus is home to at least one colony of cats. In 2018, some students, with the support of faculty and staff, formed a club to help feed and care for the campus cats. They called it the Protecting Animal Wellness Society (P.A.W.S.).

Each year I donate money to P.A.W.S. During Winter Break, when most students are away from campus, local staff sign up to feed the cats. I previously wrote about feeding the Embry-Riddle cats in 2019.

Feeding the Embry-Riddle Cats

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach campus is home to several colonies of cats. Some are friendly while others avoid people. Before we moved into the new library in 2018, I sometime sat outside the temporary library during lunch. Often I would be surrounded by cats and I usually gave them some of my lunch: fish, turkey, and chicken. Around that time, some students, with the support of faculty and staff, formed a club to help feed and care for the campus cats. They called it P.A.W.S. or the Protecting Animal Wellness Society.

Heart Walk 2019

I enjoyed participating in Heart Walk 2018, so when the event was announced for 2019, I quickly signed up. Last year a Hunt Library team was formed after a few of us had already signed up for ERAU, so this time I immediately created the Hunt Library Team and invited my colleagues to join. Due to previous commitments and other reasons, only my boss Suzanne and I could walk. However, Hunt Library staff donated a total of $320 to the American Heart Association.

One of the reasons I like this event is that I get to drive into the infield and even on part of the road course of the Daytona International Speedway, where the event takes place. After parking in the garage area, we signed in and gathered in the Fanzone for snacks, photos, and instructions.

Riverfront Park Cleanup

On January 9, 2019, my friend A. texted me with a request: “Hi James! I plan to go to the river bank near the [N]ews [J]ournal and pick up the trash. Would you like to join me?”

I often ride my bike through Riverfront Park along the Halifax River and adjacent to Beach Street in downtown Daytona Beach, so I had a selfish reason to clean up the area. I had noted after a recent storm, the shoreline in the park near the Daytona Beach News-Journal building was heavily littered with trash and debris. So when A. suggested cleaning the park, I quickly agreed to help. We planned to meet at noon on Sunday, January 13.

Heart Walk 2018

When Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University announced to staff that they were sponsoring a team for the 2018 Volusia/Flagler Heart Walk to take place on the track of the Daytona International Speedway, I knew I wanted to participate. So I made my donation, added my name to the team, and picked up my free ERAU shirt. I was joined by library colleagues Jesper, Sandra, and my boss Suzanne.

The Heart Walk took place on Friday, September 14, 2018. We started off at 6:30 pm from the middle of pit road. It was a rare chance to walk around the famous racetrack.