Worry-Free Wednesday

Rachel Hammond, Staff Writer

“This is the best day of my entire life!” This was one student’s reaction to seeing the therapy dogs at the Student Rec & Wellness’ Worry-Free Wednesday on Sept. 25. The event was in front of Lane Library and featured several dogs along with de-stressing activities.

Coastal Therapy Dogs is an organization that brings therapy dogs to places in the Savannah area. 

Their goal is to “put a smile on faces, make someone’s day a little brighter and sometimes bring back cherished memories,” according to their website. 

Of the dogs that brightened student’s days, Rayna was one. Rayna, an Aussie-doodle, has been a therapy dog for two years. Her owner, Tom Radunzel, was asked what exactly therapy dogs do. He simply replied, “See these smiles?”

There were also two miniature horses from another organization in attendance that students could pet.

Aside from the dogs and horses, the Student Rec and Wellness had coloring pages and DIY stress balls.

The coloring pages, featuring many sections to soothingly fill, were deemed by one student to be “super calming.”

As for the stress balls, students filled balloons with rice, which creates a squishy texture: optimal for calming down or de-stressing. Students selected a balloon color and had the option to draw or write a message on it.

Aside from Rayna, there were several other therapy dogs. Coco Chanel was a fan favorite, sporting a pink dress and hair bow and sitting in a stroller.

Worry Free Wednesday takes place on the last Wednesday of every month.