Community and Staff Day draws crowds to football game

Originally started five years ago to draw the town community to Princeton Stadium, Saturday's Community and Staff Day has since expanded to include much more than just admission to the football game.

A $6 ticket to the game gave Borough residents and University faculty and staff access to free entertainment, including strolling musicians, balloon animals, children's face painting and spin art, photographs and snacks.

Sponsored by the University's community and state affairs office, athletics department and human resources, the event promoted involvement in the community and provided entertainment. Stands for a book drive, community information fair and a promotional event for the Princeton Reads program circled the outside of the stadium.

Though the rain affected the turnout and cancelled certain events — such as family races at the track — those who attended seemed to be in high spirits.

"I'm happy we can do this for the community," said Pam Hersh, director of community and state affairs, who was energetic and smiling despite the wind and rain.

In planning Community and Staff Day, the community and state affairs office sent out notices to local nonprofit organizations and charities, inviting them to participate in the community information event.

About 40 organizations from the Princeton area, including Princeton Girl Scouts, United Way and Pet Rescue of Mercer County turned out for the fair.

"We have been coming here for three years, and this is the best year yet," said Margaret Ferry of Mobile Meals of Trenton and Ewing.

Princeton Reads is one of many programs nationwide that aims to bring town residents together by encouraging them to read the same book at the same time and then to meet as a community to talk about it in discussion groups, usually sponsored by a public library.

For the inaugural year of Princeton Reads, residents of the Borough voted to read "Native Speaker" by University creative writing professor Chang-Rae Lee.

To promote the program, the Princeton Public Library gave away 100 copies of the book at Community and Staff Day, and the author was present to autograph the books, daughters sitting his lap the whole time.

Before arriving at Princeton this fall, Lee was unaware that "Native Speaker" had been chosen back in the spring as the Princeton Reads book.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

However, Lee said he was "very pleased" that his book was part of the program, noting that another one of his novels, "A Gesture Life," had been used recently for Seattle Reads.

Hersh called the Princeton Reads event "a great partnership with the public library."

Vice President of Human Resources Dan Scheiner admitted that the rain may have played a part in the small turnout at Community and Staff Day, but nonetheless both he and Hersh were enthusiastic about the event.