By Kristin Sherrard

About 40 students from the College of Agriculture participated Saturday in the first annual Ag 180: Turning Students into Leaders through Service.

Samuel Evans, a Student Government senator for the College of Agriculture, said he created the service event to compliment the Ag Bash, which draws many agriculture students out each fall.

“This is definitely one of the coolest things I’ve ever done — organize this event from the ground up,” said Evans, an agriculture education junior.

Volunteers signed up to work at one of seven locations around Lexington, including the Arboretum, the Lexington Senior Citizens Center, the Old Episcopal Burying Ground and the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge. Tasks varied from landscaping to indoor cleaning projects.

“It’s basically the whole reason I joined Student Government,” he said.

Evans planned and coordinated the event with the College of Agriculture Student Council. Participants received free T-shirts and lunch.

“By doing service events, you look at things totally differently then you usually do,” Evans said. “It’s a lot different, leading and serving.”

Anna Hormann, a pre-veterinary sophomore and site leader, said she hopes the event keeps growing each year.

“We hope we can serve as a role model for the other colleges on campus to start their own service projects,” Hormann said. “College students do care.”