By Rebecca Wyatt, OU Web Writer

OU students, faculty, staff and administrators turned out Feb. 15 to help Golden Key International Honour Society assemble peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for local shelters and organizations. The 1,575 sandwiches that were made within an hour topped last year’s record of 1,500 and this year’s goal of 1,000.

The sandwich making potentially could have gone much further, but bread ran out. All supplies including bread, peanut butter, jelly, gloves, knives and bags were donated by local companies including Chartwells, the Sourdough Bread Company, Kroger and the CVS on Walton Boulevard at Adams Road.

Golden Key members, basketball, volleyball and soccer players and other OU students, faculty and staff in search of a volunteer project came together to make the sandwiches. OU President Gary Russi, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Virinder Moudgil, School of Business Administration Dean Jonathan Silberman, School of Education and Health Sciences Dean Mary Otto and Vice President of University Relations Sue Goepp also joined in the sandwich making.

“It’s a good way to give back to the community,” said Kristi Evans, a freshman and soccer player.

“It’s also good for team bonding,” said Evan’s teammate, sophomore Kathy Yarsinski.

Golden Key also collected canned food that was donated to the shelters along with the sandwiches. The food went to Bethel, MATTS, Warming Center, Grace Centers of Hope, Whitmer Human Resource Center, Lighthouse of Oakland County and Welcome Inn.

This was the fifth annual peanut butter and jelly sandwich-making event for Golden Key, which coincides with OU’s Random Acts of Kindness Week celebration.