Shack-a-Thon is an annual Campus Ministry event that’s aim is to help raise awareness for homelessness.

Starting Friday night, students that participate in Shack-a-Thon build wooden shacks on the Rochester College campus. They are given some wood, nails, some tools and a tarp for rain protection. If you drove by Rochester College between Sept. 28- Sept. 30, you probably spotted the shacks that read, “Traded it all for love.”

“Traded it all for love,” is the key motto of Shack-a-Thon. “We do Shack-a-Thon to help raise awareness for the homeless,” said Cole McClure, junior, “It seems so small to give up our comforts for just a weekend, but we know that every bit of effort and love matters.” Shack-a-Thon isn’t just about raising awareness for the homeless, but loving the homeless, too.

Shack-a-Thon participants woke up Saturday and spent some time working with Habitat for Humanity. “We spent a good portion of the day painting and putting up cabinets at a Habitat for Humanity’s home,” said Leneigh Brackney, sophomore, “We put the finishing touches on the home.” The students then walked around Pontiac passing out lunches that they made and talking with the homeless.

“It was an extremely cold and rainy weekend so we didn’t get much sleep, but it was a great time and well worth it,” said Anthony Laster, senior. The temperatures dropped that weekend after a nice week of weather, but the students got through the weekend with smiles on their faces. “There was a leak in our shack the first night so we were a little wet come morning. I woke up in a nice puddle,” said Brackney. The price for giving up some comforts for the weekend and roughing the cold and wet weather was worth it for such a great cause.

Photo by Kayce McClure