UAB Briefs: MLK Jr Day of Service, ArtBlink, State of the School
Welcome to another installment of UAB Briefs.
In this weekly online feature, we keep track of interesting people and events on campus.
This week, UAB students took part in service projects to mark the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
And tickets are now available for the lavish annual ArtBLINK Gala that raises money for the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Know people, places and programs on the UAB campus that deserve a mention? Email jchambers@starnespublishing.com.
ACTS OF SERVICE
Anywhere from 400-500 UAB students, faculty and staff were expected to take part in a variety of volunteer projects in Birmingham on Monday, Jan. 21, in order to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is an annual event that honors King’s memory through community outreach efforts across the United States.
And this year, the Day of Service served to kick off the UAB Benevolent Fund 50 Acts of Service for UAB's 50th anniversary in 2019.
Efforts at UAB were led by the Leadership and Service Council, a student-led campus organization that coordinates biannual community outreach days and monthly service projects and conducts ongoing volunteer activities, according to a university news release.
The nonprofit Hands on Birmingham coordinated volunteer efforts at the various sites in the city.
Participants registered at the Campus Recreation Center and were assigned volunteer locations.
Work sites included Railroad Park, Birmingham Nursing and Rehab, The Birmingham Education Foundation, Vulcan Park and Museum, UAB Sustainability, Red Mountain Park, Bush Hills Community Garden and neighborhood cleanups in Glen Iris, Docena, Bush Hills and Greater Shiloh.
FAST ART FOR A GOOD CAUSE
Local artists will create works of art in 90 minutes or less during the 34th annual ArtBLINK Gala, a major fundraiser for the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, which will be held at The Kirklin Clinic on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 6:30 p.m., according to a UAB news release.
In addition to these artists, the event will feature a silent auction, artists gallery, a cocktail dinner from IZ Catering and dancing with live music from The Schmohawks.
Funds from the Gala go toward the Cancer Center’s Fund for Excellence, which supports high-priority research efforts, including launching young investigators in cancer research or recruiting new faculty.
“Philanthropic support from the community through our ArtBLINK Gala provides us with the critical seed money to investigate drugs and develop treatments that we can quickly and safely move to our patients,” said Dr. Michael Birrer, the Center’s director.
Local artists include Ginnard Archibald, Joseph Longoria, Ahmad Austin, Melissa Payne Baker, Dr. Pam Benoit, Sally Waldrup Boyd, Gary Chapman, Joan Curtis, Vicki Denaburg, Lynthia Edwards, Thomas Findlay, Gina Hurry, Carrie Pittman, Linda Ellen Price, Michael Swann, Sherri Van Pelt, Paul Ware, Sarah Soule Webb, Robine Wright and Natalie Russo Zoghby.
Dress is black-tie-optional.
The Kirklin Clinic is located at 2000 Sixth Ave. S., and valet service and deck parking are available.
Admission is $150 per person. To buy tickets or get more information, call 934-1603 or go to artblink.org.
STATE OF THE SCHOOL
Those interested in the UAB School of Medicine can attend the annual State of the School of Medicine address to be given by Dr. Selwyn M. Vickers, the school’s dean, in the Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium on Wednesday, Jan. 30, from noon to 1:15 p.m.
Vickers will highlight achievements from the past year in the areas of research, clinical care and medical education, according to a UAB news release.
He’ll also outline his plan for continued growth in the School of Medicine, the release states.
The auditorium is located at the corner of 19th Street and Seventh Avenue South.