In preparation for Hands Across California, the Bakersfield College Student Government Association held a rally to inform students of the upcoming event on April 4.

Around 80 students joined hands to demonstrate what the event will look like on April 17.

The event is attempting to create a $100 million endowment for California Community Colleges. The chain will form a large C due to certain schools choosing not to participate in the hand holding.

Some schools not participating are still able to fund raise for the cause. “There are some colleges, who unfortunately, could not be directly on the route so they’re doing their own local versions of Hands Across California,” said Jill Scofield, director of public relations at Foundation for California Community Colleges.

Scofield also said that other rallies, such as the one on BC’s campus, were held at other community colleges throughout the state.

According to Scofield, the chain will cover 1,000 miles and require “approximately” one million people to complete. “Even if they’re not in the line these local events happening at colleges throughout those people are standing up for community colleges,” said Scofield.

There are problems covering 1,000 miles, though, according to Scofield. “Now we may see areas where it’s difficult to connect people across the entire landscape or connect at certain points.

“It’s not going to go across any freeway or major thoroughfares. Just because that’s a safety hazard, we’re avoiding that as much as possible following frontage roads or residential streets so that the impact on traffic will be insignificant and so that the safety of those participating is key.”

UPS will be helping with logistics, according to Scofield. UPS will also place trucks at locations around California during the day of the event to inform people of where to assemble.

Roger Sanchez, SGA liaison to the dean and Hands Across California representative for BC organized the rally.

Sanchez said SGA has been asking businesses and churches around Bakersfield for support to help complete their part of the human chain.

SGA is also looking for 50 marshals to instruct people during the hand-holding event.

“It will be a pretty tremendous outpouring of support. In fact we anticipate it will be the largest fundraiser in higher education history,” said Scofield.