Need a Ride?

Crazy weather? Walking alone and it’s after dark? Maybe you just don’t feel like walking? Whatever the reason, the Hope College Campus Evening Shuttle is there for you with a free minivan transportation system that encircles campus.

The Evening Shuttle makes eight stops on campus and can be spotted with an illuminated sign on top of a silver minivan saying: “Shuttle.” The schedule for the stops goes on the digit of that stop number. For example, at stop #1, the shuttle arrives at :01, :11, :21, :31, :41, and :51 on the hour; at stop #2, the shuttle arrives at :02, :12, :22, :32, :42, and :52 on the hour, and so on. The eight stops are:

Stop #1 — In front of Gilmore Hall on 10th Street

Stop #2 — Between Van Wylen Library, and Schaap Science Center on College Ave.

Stop #4 — In front of Welmers Cottage, across from Western Theological Seminary housing on 14th.

Stop #5 — At the corner of 14th Street and Columbia Ave.

Stop #6 — At the corner of 15th Street and Lincoln Ave.

Stop #7 — At the corner of 13th Street and Fairbanks Ave.

Stop #8 — At the corner of 13th Street and Lincoln Ave.

Stop #9 — At Lincoln Ave. side of DeVos Fieldhouse.

The Shuttle operates during evening hours only at these times:

  • 6pm to midnight– Sundays through Thursdays
  • 6pm to 2am– Fridays and Saturdays
  • It does not operate during breaks.

Safety is the shuttle’s top objective with convenience a close second. The Evening Shuttle features the same minivan every night, so there’s no confusion regarding which car is the actual shuttle. On top of that, the Evening Shuttle system typically features the same drivers every night  so you might already know who’s driving you tonight before getting into the shuttle, creating a safer atmosphere for shuttle riders.  Rain or shine, the Evening Shuttle provides your ride around Hope.

Campus Safety Officers Organize First-Ever Hope and Holland Special Olympics Community Run, Scheduled for Sept. 13

Hope’s — and Holland’s — first-ever community torch run on behalf of Special Olympics Michigan is happening on Wednesday, Sept. 13, through the efforts of two Campus Safety officers.

Jeff Vander Kooy and Scott Evans have taken the lead in organizing the 2.6-mile run, which will begin at the DeVos Fieldhouse at 10 a.m. and finish at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium.  And there’s still time to sign on.

The event is being held as part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) campaign, which was established on behalf of the Special Olympics in 1981 in Kansas.  Grass-roots programs now take place around the world, with activities including community runs such as the Sept. 13 Holland/Hope event, long-distance relays that might span hundreds of miles, a variety of other awareness-building and fund-raising efforts, and connecting with Special Olympics initiatives such as the Summer and Winter Games.

“Scott and I have participated in several torch run events, and are excited to have a chance to bring a community run to Holland and Hope,” said Vander Kooy, who became involved in the program in 2015 while still working for Michigan’s Department of Corrections.  “It’s especially meaningful to us because we realized when we attended Michigan’s Special Olympics Summer Games in Mount Pleasant in 2016 that some of the athletes in the Ottawa County area work on campus.  We want to show them that we support them.”

Although the Sept. 13 event is a run, it’s not a race.  Carrying the Special Olympics torch with them, the participants will travel at a pace that allows everyone to stay together.  Those who would feel more comfortable biking may bring their own transportation to ride instead.

Vander Kooy recognizes that the weekday-morning time frame isn’t ideal.  This year’s run was scheduled in conjunction with the statewide program to complement a run in Grand Rapids later in the day.  He hopes, though, that the Sept. 13 Holland run won’t be the last.

“We’d like to continue it in the future,” he said.

Registration is $25, and all who are interested in participating may register and learn more at firstgiving.com/miletr/.  Registration will also take place on-site beginning at 9 a.m. on Sept. 13.  Registration includes a t-shirt, although a limited number of shirts will be available during on-site registration.