Though maybe not as “hoppy” as the locally brewed Founders’ beer or as this past Sunday’s Easter bunny, the K4L [Knights4Life] and Grand Rapids Alumni Network hang out and networking event at Founders Brewery was well-attended.
The goal to bring alumni together for a casual hang out and to raise money for the Grand Rapids Network Scholarship reeled in more than 95 Calvin alumni and friends this past Monday evening.
K4L is based out of Calvin, but it does a lot of programming off campus as well as on . This Founders event was organized specifically for the Grand Rapids network of the Calvin Alumni Association.
The GR Network is an organization to help students make connections and let them know what it means to be a proud Calvin alumnus. They also want to show ex-students how the alumni office can help after they graduate.
“The GR Network and K4L, while not entirely the same thing, are more like two sides of the same coin — working with Calvin alumni and building relationships between individuals and the college,” said Taylor Greenfield, who oversees K4L organization.
Although K4L has only been in existence since 2007, it has organized hundreds of events, and has big hopes and dreams for current and future Calvin alumni. Its mission statement reads: “K4L (Knights4Life) is the student alumni network under the direction of the Calvin Alumni Association. The primary goal of K4L is to help students build lasting bonds with each other, alumni and the institution in general.”
There are many upcoming events this semester that K4L is planning. These events include the YouTube Bracket Battle for the junior class on April 21, assisting with the Chaplain’s Chase, which is a part of the Calvin Spring Classic 5k on April 25, a senior networking night at Grand Rapids Brewing Company on May 6, and the senior breakfast hosted every year on Commencement Day.
In the midst of the fun and competitive nature of K4L events, Greenfield said that his favorite event has been the Cold Knight Plunge, which took place on March 27.
“Even though we had to push it back due to cold weather, it was extremely well attended and very fun. I love helping students create memories with one another and with Calvin,” said Greenfield.
Other unique events that K4L hosts can be discovered on their Facebook, by email, the uKnight portion of Calvin’s website, searching “Knights4Life” on the Calvin website, numerous posters, and, of course, by word of mouth.
There’s no reason to miss out on the entertaining events and a chance to form great, networking connections with Calvin alumni.
