Penn State Creamery student employees support cancer foundation, Toys for Tots

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Although the student employees at Penn State’s Berkey Creamery usually brighten their customers’ days with delicious sweets, they never forget to give back during the holidays.

“Penn State is really big on giving back to those who are less fortunate,” said Annie Murphy, the lead student supervisor at the Penn State landmark. “It’s very important to do something bigger than yourself and to give back in any way you can.”

Because the Creamery student employees are passionate about helping others, they use their own money to make an annual donation to local charities.

“No one charity is more important than the other,” Murphy said. “We choose based on what we feel needs attention at the moment.”

One issue that constantly needs attention, she said, is cancer.

This holiday season, the students donated their money to the Griffith Family Foundation’s Sideline Cancer initiative, which is focused on finding a cure for pancreatic cancer. The foundation has a chapter at Penn State.

The students donated $1,100 to the cause, much to the delight of Cathy Griffith, who is the president of the foundation.

“The Berkey Creamery student employees’ donation will help the club take pancreatic cancer off the sideline and to the finish line for a cure,” she said.

Griffith said that the money will go toward funding a symposium about pancreatic cancer that will be hosted by Penn State students, scheduled for April 17, 2020, at the Nittany Lion Inn in State College.

Doctors and experts in cancer research from Harvard Medical School and the University of Pittsburgh will be among those who will speak about ways to further the effort to cure pancreatic cancer.

“All of it is thanks to the donations made by the Berkey Creamery student employees,” Griffith said.

The students also bought toys for Toys for Tots, an organization of the Marine Corps Reserve. The Nittany Leathernecks Detachment, which is Centre County’s Marine Corps League chapter, oversees the outreach program.

Murphy said that the students donate to Toys for Tots every year. Last year, the Creamery student employees bought $400 worth of toys, and this year they hope to top that.

“We definitely want to make an impact on children by providing them with these toys,” said Murphy, who added that the students try to pick toys that are suitable for all ages of children, as people usually forget about the older youth who benefit from the organization.

“It’s really nice that we work at the Penn State Creamery, where we’re able to come together, gather money and donate to these great causes,” Murphy said.