Like most people, I have a collection of T-shirts that I have accumulated throughout the years.
I have one from the first concert I ever attended, one from my senior year in high school and one from my great uncle who was in the Marines.
A staple of my T-shirt rotation is my collection of Gannon GIVE Day shirts; I participated every year I was at Gannon.
I love what those shirts and GIVE Day represent: the caring and connected community that is Gannon.  So when I was asked to participate in the Cleveland Alumni GIVE Day, I gladly accepted.
This year, we had the privilege of being part of the Helping Hands Hero Run 5K at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. This event was planned by a group of my co-workers from Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation.
The run raised funds to help patients from our hospital purchase necessary equipment that is not covered by insurance. This includes items such as wheelchair ramps, electrical lines for ventilators and car seats.
A group of Gannon alumni from the Cleveland area helped with various tasks for the race including setup, running the registration tables and assisting at the water station.  The race was a great success and we were all happy to have been a part of it.
So, as I add another GIVE Day shirt to my collection, I am grateful.
I am grateful for my education in the Occupational Therapy program at Gannon, which led me to my dream job at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation.  I am grateful for the spirit of community and service fostered in me at Gannon that I still carry with me today.
Editor’s note: Gannon alumni will also be participating in GIVE Day this weekend with events in Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Erie, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Rochester and Ruskin, Fla.

EMILY ORLANDO
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