Hastings College will launch the Heartwell Park Project, an environmental awareness and organized clean-up event from 3-6 p.m., Thursday, April 8 at Heartwell Park. The event is free and open to the public. Community members are encouraged to participate. Prizes will be given away every half hour.
Acclaimed singer and songwriter Carrie Newcomer will perform and Hastings College President Dr. Phil Dudley and Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Ron Chesbrough will speak.

Heartwell Park Project Schedule - Thursday, April 8
3-6 p.m. – Clean-up of Heartwell Park
4:45 p.m. – Performance by recording artist, singer, songwriter Carrie Newcomer
5 p.m. – Hastings College President Dr. Phil Dudley and Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Ron Chesbrough will speak
3-6 p.m. – Food and refreshments will be served

The goal of the Heartwell Park Project is to unite and educate the Hastings community about keeping the neighborhood and Heartwell Park clean. Throughout the event volunteers will work to clean-up the park, lake, spillway and canal. Hastings’ Woodward’s Disposal Services, Inc. will donate several trash and recycling receptacles for the project.
The Heartwell Park Project event is organized by HC junior Meghan Duryea, Lincoln, Neb., and Rev. Dr. M. Jean Heriot, who is the associate director of Vocational Discernment and Service Learning and assistant professor of religion and sociology at Hastings College.
The event is funded by a Kemper Envision Grant provided to the College by the J.S. Kemper Foundation of Chicago. These grants have funded a wide range of service projects created by HC student and faculty teams. 
For the fourth year in a row, Hastings College was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the exemplary volunteerism of its students. Last year, HC students volunteered over 22,000 hours through service learning classes, extra-curricular service activities, and campus organizations. In the last six years, HC students have logged over 94,000 volunteer hours.
Hastings College, founded in 1882, is a private, four-year liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). A total of 64 majors in 32 areas of study and 12 pre-professional programs are offered to more than 1,150 students. Hastings College was named 75th Best Value College in the nation and #1 in Nebraska by Forbes.com and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. It was named a 2010 “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review and rated a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s. Visit www.hastings.edu for more information.