Patty Guerra

Several UC Merced students pitched in Saturday, Jan. 28 to help people whose belongings were damaged when rains earlier this month flooded a storage facility.

Students from sports teams and on-campus organizations sorted belongings, hauled trash and cleaned up the Merced Mini Storage facility, alongside teams from the California Conservation Corps and Lowe's home improvement store. Merced Mayor Matthew Serrato also was on hand to help, and a local restaurant provided lunch for the volunteers.

The setting for the celebration marking 20 years since the groundbreaking for UC Merced was markedly different in many ways from the event it commemorated.

Wednesday's ceremony, attended by hundreds of faculty and staff - including dozens from when the university opened - took place in the Dr. Vikram and Priya Lakireddy Grand Ballroom. It was a scene far removed from the empty field where ground was broken for the 10^th University of California campus in October 2002.

Innovate to Grow is a twice-yearly celebration of student ingenuity hosted by the School of Engineering (SoE). In a way, it's a science fair for college students to help solve problems that businesses and nonprofit organizations face, and potentially gain partnerships to see their projects utilized in real-world applications.

Throughout the year, the UC Merced Community Engagement Center (CEC) offers a variety of opportunities for students to work for the betterment of the area.

But at the holidays, faculty and staff are invited to take part as well.

Over Thanksgiving, the center raised money to purchase traditional holiday meals for 30 families — with turkey, potatoes, pie, cranberry sauce and a vegetable, said Vernette Doty, CEC director.