Community service and wizardry combined forces when Knox College hosted the Harry Potter-themed "One Magical Day of Service," which brought area children to campus to make wands, learn about plants, and concoct potions.

At the Knox College Chemistry Club table, for example, youngsters invented "potions" in Erlenmeyer flasks by mixing various ingredients, including some labeled as leprechaun tears, powdered unicorn horn, and bleached gillyweed.

"Don't be shy with the leprechaun tears," Margo Stanger ‘17 told some potion-makers. "They help the potion a lot."

"Don't worry, we didn't harm the leprechauns while collecting their tears," added Theresa Birzer ‘17.

Members of the Chemistry Club "like to teach science to kids," Birzer explained. "We fit right in with this (event) perfectly."

"Sometimes, science can seem a lot like magic," Stanger said.

One Magical Day of Service was organized by the Kleine Center for Community Service, and the May 15 event raised funds for the Gale Scholars Program.

The Day of Service featured activities that were organized by members of the Knox College community and by Galesburg-area organizations, including Galesburg Public Library and Abingdon High School Key Club.

Children who stopped by the public library's table created Harry Potter eyeglasses and applied temporary tattoos in the shape of a lightning bolt scar. At the Key Club's table, children selected, decorated, and painted sticks that served as their magic wands.

In Standish Park, across the street from the Knox campus, live-action roleplayers acted while children toured the "Forbidden Forest."

In a class on herbology, Tina Hope told young students about the healing properties of certain plants. Plantago major, also known as the common plantain or Band-Aid plant, is good for soothing insect bites and bee stings, she told them before they headed out to search for plants on campus.

"I love teaching about local plants and to teach to kids," said Hope, an herbalist who was portraying the cousin of Professor Sprout, a character in the Potter books and movies.

(Photo at top of page: Knox Chemistry Club's potion-making table. Photos below: Learning about herbology; decorated magic wands; playing Quidditch.)

Youngsters also had a chance to create Hogwarts textbooks at a table staffed by Knox students who are involved with Quiver, a student-run literary magazine.

"You can color them or decorate them any way you want," said Michelle Secunda ‘16.

Morgan Nelson ‘16 added: "I like how this (Day of Service) is bringing the entire community here on campus to have a good time."