The rain has been falling in Ames for the last couple days, and there don’t seem to be any sunny days in the near future. However, this has not stopped many Iowa State students and Ames residents from working to make others’ lives a little bit better.

For the past number of weeks, the Daily’s been showered with calls and press releases detailing various philanthropy and fundraising events.

It is amazing how many people and organizations commit themselves so diligently to improving the lives of others. So many people selflessly work to improve their community and the city of Ames.

A couple examples of these events include:

In line with the upcoming Veishea celebration, many students have begun to plan and take part in Community Outreach Projects. One group of students moved the Boys and Girls Club of Ames to a larger office space. And the members of Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Gamma Delta are enduring the elements for a “Pole Sit.” Members of the houses sit on a ten-foot high column, located in their front lawn, to raise money through sponsors and pledges.

A week ago, at the Dance Marathon, students and faculty danced for ten hours straight to raise money for children living with cancer.

An artist is collecting woman’s bras in hopes of building a giant tapestry. The tapestry will be presented to Bill Clinton in September to raise awareness for breast cancer.

There is even a Service Learning Project, endorsed by President Jischke, in which ISU students teach Des Moines students various computer skills.

The list is endless concerning the events that are intended to help others who are less fortunate.

Unfortunately, the Daily is not always able to cover every event and talk to every participant. But the success of such events should not be based on whether or not your picture made it into the paper, or if the event made front page.

The students who have worked so hard to be a part of such events deserve praise and recognition. Now let’s get the rest of the student body involved, working to make life a little better for the people who need it.