University of Mary Sends 1,300 Volunteers into Community for 12th Annual Day of Service

Homecoming tradition cancels classes as students, faculty, and staff serve at roughly 80 locations Wednesday

BISMARCK, ND — In the middle of a week filled with Homecoming celebrations, the University of Mary will set aside classes Wednesday, Sept. 30, and send approximately 1,300 students, faculty, and staff into the community for a day devoted to serving others.

The university’s 12th Annual Day of Service will place volunteers at roughly 80 organizations and locations, primarily throughout Bismarck-Mandan, while University of Mary students in Rome and at Mary College at ASU (Arizona State University) also take part. Service projects will reach nonprofits, churches, schools, senior living communities, shelters, and other organizations.

For student co-chair Lauren Glennon, a junior from Casselton, North Dakota, majoring in marketing and business administration, the day has come full circle. As a freshman, Glennon spent her first Day of Service working alongside the university’s Physical Plant staff cleaning the Crow’s Nest Restaurant.

“The first Day of Service my freshman year had a great impact on me,” Glennon said. “It truly opened my eyes and made me appreciate all that the staff do day in and day out. I felt called to co-chair the Day of Service and create that same environment for students and faculty to experience gratitude and appreciation for others in the community.”

This year’s volunteers will serve at locations including Annunciation Monastery, Dakota Zoo, Buckstop Junction, Great Plains Food Bank, Ministry on the Margins, Salvation Army, United Way, Bismarck Cancer Center, Bismarck Global Neighbors, Ronald McDonald House, Papa’s Pumpkin Patch, Down Home, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, and numerous other organizations. Several Marauders athletic teams will also serve together at locations throughout the day.

Student co-chair Kendra Auch, a senior from Mott, North Dakota, majoring in business administration and marketing, said preparations have been underway since March. Organizers have spent months contacting community partners, determining volunteer needs, coordinating site leaders, ordering shirts, and registering students.

Many University of Mary students come from outside North Dakota, says Auch, making their willingness to serve organizations they may never have encountered before especially meaningful.

“Seeing them so willing to help out sites they have never been to or possibly even heard of is inspiring and shows our community that the University of Mary cares about showing up for others and serving,” Auch said.

Beginning With Prayer

Before volunteers scatter across the community, the university will come together in prayer. The day begins with a candlelight commissioning Mass at 8 a.m. in the McDowell Activity Center, followed by breakfast and departure for morning service sites shortly before 10 a.m. Afternoon service projects begin at 1 p.m.

Glennon says beginning with Mass gives the service that follows its purpose.

“It was amazing to see everyone all in one place as we prepared our minds and souls to serve well and imitate Jesus’ servant heart,” Glennon said. “I love how the Mass puts us in the right heart posture to give selflessly to those most in need.”

The Day of Service has become a signature part of Homecoming and an expression of the university’s Christian, Catholic, and Benedictine mission. The University of Mary was founded in 1959 by the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, and service remains central to its mission of preparing servant leaders of moral courage.

“Day of Service is strategically placed in the middle of Homecoming week so that in the midst of the fun, school spirit, and traditions, we remember why we are here,” Auch said.

The day concludes back on campus with Homecoming activities, including the coronation of the Homecoming king and queen at 7 p.m. in Founders Hall. A video featuring students serving throughout the day will help bring the entire university community back together to see the collective impact of a Homecoming tradition centered on giving back.

About the University of Mary: True to its motto, lumen vitae — The Light of Life — the University of Mary provides an education for the whole of life, preparing students for professional excellence, moral courage, leadership and service. Founded in 1959 by the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, Mary is a private, coeducational Christian, Catholic and Benedictine university that welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds.

One of only a handful of residential colleges and universities recommended by The Cardinal Newman Society, the University of Mary offers 65 undergraduate majors, 21 master’s degrees and five doctoral degrees in business administration, education, nursing practice, occupational therapy and physical therapy. Mary serves approximately 4,000 students through its main campus in Bismarck, locations in North Dakota, Montana, Arizona and Rome, Italy, and a growing array of online programs.

The University of Mary is also a significant contributor to the region it calls home. In fiscal year 2025-26, university direct spending and student discretionary spending had a combined economic effect of more than $266 million on the Bismarck-Mandan regional economy. Mary students further strengthen the region through employment, internships, fieldwork and volunteer service, building connections with hundreds of businesses and nonprofit organizations that often continue after graduation.  

Anyone wishing to learn more about the University of Mary can visit umary.edu or online.umary.edu, email enroll@umary.edu, or call 701-355-8030.