By Drew Teague

While K Week hosts events catered to freshmen, one event is becoming popular with upperclassmen, so much so that they are the majority of attendees.

For Unity and Service In Our Neighborhood, a community service event put on by the Center for Community Outreach, helps students spread across

Lexington to participate in various tasks that help other members of the community.

According to the FUSION website, the event helps give over 2,800 service hours to the community in just a matter of hours.

FUSION is in its sixth year, and numbers have increased each year.

Mary-Kate Fields, a communications and sociology senior, has participated in FUSION each year she has attended UK. She started out as a volunteer, then became a site leader before working her way to the planning stages of the event and leading this year.

Fields was happy with the turn out, especially upperclassmen who have participated before.

“We actually had a record number of upperclassmen,” Fields said. “This year, of the 1,000 students we had [preregister], I think 350 were freshmen and the rest were upperclassmen.”

Each year FUSION has grown, and Fields is confident this yea

r had one of the largest community impacts, helping more people and places than ever before.

“We have the most number of sights we’ve ever had, and the biggest number of volunteer opportunities,” Fields said.

Students like Lindsay Moffitt and Nicole Hayes, both upperclassmen, attended the event and were excited to participate.

Moffitt, a communication disorders and psychology sophomore, returned to the event because of what the great time she had last year as a freshman.

“FUSION is an awesome event that allows all students to connect with the community, make new friends and help places that are doing good work here in our own city,” Moffitt said.

Hayes, a broadcast journalism junior, actually participated in FUSION for the first time, but she was enthusiastic about getting to participate in the event.

“One reason I wanted to participate is because I think FUSION is a great UK tradition,” Hayes said. “I was really excited to actually help other people while having fun with fellow college students.”

While freshmen were in the minority during the volunteering, it didn’t stop them from having a good time.

Sierra Wilburn, a biology freshman, helped paint Northeast Christian Church, and said the CCO, through FUSION, provided students with a rewarding opportunity.

“I got a good feeling from helping them accomplish their goals,” Wilburn said.

Wilburn said freshmen do not understand K Week entirely so they brush off some of the events.

“I don’t think freshmen realize that it’s such a huge event and is so much fun,” Wilburn said. “I’ve learned that it’s so much fun to help the community and get involved at UK.”

Moffitt wanted students to realize that Lexington is now their home and they can help improve that new home

“Everyone, not just freshmen, can have a part in doing some good for Lexington,” Moffitt said. “It’s our home, too.”