Salve Regina accounting students, in cooperation with AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), will offer free tax preparation assistance to any individual or family earning less than $53,000 annually on Wednesdays from 11-5pm until April 15 in McKillop Library.

Under the guidance of Paul McKillop, senior lecturer in the Department of Business Studies and Economics and a certified public accountant, the students have achieved advanced AARP certification necessary to prepare tax returns.

There are three tax preparation sites: Salve Regina’s McKillop Library, the Edward King House and the Portsmouth Senior Center. Students are volunteering at all three sites during the week until the tax season has concluded. Taxpayers cannot access the library if coming from outside the Salve Regina community, so they should call 401-341-2170 to make an appointment to drop off their materials.

Once the returns – both federal and state – are reviewed by the AARP controller, they will be e-filed. Open to the University community and the general public, the service is being provided on a first come, first served basis.

Those who are interested should bring the following:

• Social security card for self, spouse and all dependents (if applicable).
• Photo ID for self and spouse (if applicable).
• All 2020 W-2, 1099 and 1095-A forms.
• Stimulus payment received in 2020, called EIP1 and EIP2.
• Copy of last year’s return, if available.
• Any other forms received, typically these are 1098 and 1099 forms.

If there are any questions, direct them to Paul McKillop at mckillop@salve.edu.

This year the students preparing return and helping with the new COVID-19 procedure are: Ansen Cassady, Margaret Raposa, Abigail Joy, Hanna Fafard, Hana Couture, Drew Marzano, Nikki LeTourneau, Claire Matuga, Emma Zelepos, Nick Messer, Christopher Peasley, and Fernando Taborga. All students have passed the Advanced Certification for 2021.

Salve Regina’s annual SalveTHON is set to run on Saturday, March 27 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., promising 12 whole hours of fun programming to help raise funds for Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. And while the pandemic has changed the way that the event usually operates, there should be plenty ways to make memories that day.

To register for the upcoming all-day Saturday event or to donate, click here. In order to participate, people should sign up by the end of day on March 26.

“SalveTHON’s motto is ‘We stand for those who can’t,’” said Ashley Cannata ’22, a co-president for SalveTHON. “What we’re doing is not for ourselves, it’s not for selfish reasons. It’s for the children who have spent their lives not knowing what’s going to happen to them…. It’s unimaginable how strong these kids are.”

 

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SalveTHON is a part of the Miracle Network Dance Marathon, which is a nationwide program that colleges all over the country participate in to raise money for a children’s hospital within the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. To date, this program has raised over $300,000,000 for children’s hospitals since 1991.

Salve Regina’s specific goal is to raise $20,000 for the 2020-21 academic year. SalveTHON raises money throughout the academic year, and the event on March 27 is the culmination of its effort in raising funds for Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

“We start recruiting participants at the beginning of the school year during Club Rush,” said Emily Wyrick ’22, who is a co-president of SalveTHON. “People can sign up, and as soon as they sign up, they can start fundraising at the … beginning of October. So they can raise money on Venmo boards, through Facebook fundraisers, etc. We also have fundraising events throughout the year.”

While many individuals have been raising money since October, anyone in the Salve Regina community can donate now or the day of the event. Salve Regina community members are invited to come participate in the 12-hour event and donate on Saturday, March 27.

A group that participated in SalveTHON in 2019.

Usually, SalveTHON is a 12-hour event held in Ochre Court, with each hour being a different activity that culminates in what is called Power Hour—the last hour where participants dance away the evening. Because of the pandemic, many things had to be changed to accommodate safety, but the essence of the event remains the same.

This year, participants will be put into groups and assigned to a room in O’Hare Academic Building, where they will be socially distanced and wearing masks. The activities—which are generally a surprise—will be brought to them each hour in their designated room. A few of the hours of programming will be held outside in an outdoors tent, including the Power Hour. Lunch and dinner will be held in the outdoor tent as well.

For those who want to attend virtually, there will be virtual options on Zoom as well. Each room in O’Hare Academic Building will have a computer linking them to Zoom, so the physical rooms will be able to communicate virtually all day. There will also be special Zoom breakout rooms and activities for those who are off campus and need to participate virtually only.

Staff, faculty and students are all encouraged to participate—and people can sign up as an individual or to be in a group. Each individual signing up will be assigned into a group, so they will not be doing any of the event alone. People will get shirts that they can wear throughout the day.

There will also be raffle prizes announced on March 27, and tickets are being sold now for a variety of prizes. They can be purchased in Gerety Hall through Friday, March 26.

 

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Cannata pointed out that while there are many children being treated at Hasbro’s currently, alumni and current students have been treated at Hasbro Children’s Hospital on the past. “Hasbro’s is near and dear to the Salve community, not just for families in Rhode Island, but to the Salve community as well,” she concluded.

To register for the upcoming all-day Saturday event or to donate, click here. Participants should sign up by the end of day on March 26. For more information, reach out to Gregory Labrie ’22, the programming coordinator for SalveTHON, at gregory.labrie@salve.edu or direct message SalveTHON’s Instagram account.

Featured photo is from SalveTHON in 2019, when the event raised $15,455 for Hasbro Children’s Hospital. 

The Office of Alumni, Parent and Families can’t hold its annual Easter Brunch and Egg Roll this year, but they’ve decided to put on a virtual event with the Easter Bunny instead. On Saturday, March 27, at 11 a.m., Salve Regina families can join online for a Story Time with the Easter Bunny event. This event is co-sponsored by Sigma Phi Sigma. To register, go to the Eventbrite.

During the event, Sigma Phi Sigma students will be reading stories with the Easter Bunny. Coloring sheets will also be emailed to registrants in advance for children to color as they listen to the stories. Participants should register by Friday, March 26, at the latest to ensure that they receive the coloring pages. Current staff, faculty and students can join the event, as well as alumni.

Sigma Phi Sigma is a National Mercy Honor Society in which members hold themselves to high standards of scholarship, fidelity and service. Some of Sigma Phi Sigma’s most notable events are helping at convocation, the Governor’s Ball, as well as Easter brunch event. welcoming guests, hosting the egg roll and making crafts with the children.

“Volunteering for the Alumni Easter Egg Roll was one of the most fun experiences I had while at Salve,” said Alley Harkness ’20, who was a Sigma Phi Sigma member. “All of the alumni were so kind, and all of their children were a joy to have on campus. It was a great way for alumni to stay connected to the University and for current students to meet alumni and see what the future could hold.”

Normally, funds raised through the Easter Brunch and Egg Roll event would benefit the Vision of Mercy Scholarship, but the Story Time with the Easter Bunny is free this year. If anyone would like to donate towards the scholarship, they can still do so.

To register for the event on Saturday, March 27, go to the event’s Eventbrite page.

Featured photo by Getty Images/kobeza