The Student Recreation and Wellness Center will be offering an opportunity to appreciate veterans and service members of the armed forces Saturday, March 10.

Kent State Recreational Services, in partnership with Wheels 4 Change and LifeCenter Plus, are organizing a fundraising event to honor and celebrate veterans and active servicemen.

The event raises money for local veteran organizations through arranging activities that engage people of all ages. It will run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Rec.

Fitness activities, which include boot camp, yoga, swimming, rock climbing, archery and more, will take place on the basketball courts and in the studios on the lower level. There will also be non-fitness activities such as cornhole and card games.

“Our biggest outcome that I’m hoping for is participation in the fitness activities because a big part that we’re going to do before and after the activities start, is to recognize our veterans and our other service members,” said Elizabeth Michel, the group exercise coordinator of the Rec.

The event is free for all to attend, but donations are welcome. Organizers ask that participants register online to help give them an idea of how many people to expect, but anyone is welcome to participate without registering.

Attendees who do not wish to participate in the physical activities can still donate money towards the cause either online or at the door.

Each veteran and service member will receive a special pin to wear, signifying their role of having served in the military.

“It’s kind of hard to do a recognition if there’s not a lot of people there,” Michel said, “so the more people there, the more we can come together and show our appreciation  for those that have given sacrifices for our country.”

Mariah Hicks is the military and veterans affairs reporter. Contact her at [email protected].