MC students volunteer during 'Make a Difference Day,' Oct. 26

Several Maryville College students will be out in the community on Saturday, volunteering at various places and with various causes. While the concepts and rewards of serving the community aren't new to MC students, national Make a Difference Day offers the opportunity for students to join forces with other volunteers for a much larger positive impact.

WHO: Maryville College students, accompanied by some faculty and staff members.

WHAT: Make A Difference Day is the most encompassing national day of helping others - a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. Millions have participated. For more information, visit www.makeadifferenceday.com

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 26. Start times vary. (See section below.)

WHERE:

  • Alcoa, Habitat for Humanity House. Students will be helping with the assembly of a Habitat house on Howe Street. Shifts begin at 7:45 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m.
  • Alcoa, Wal-Mart shopping center. Students will be volunteering with BlountCARE from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., "showing off" animals that need to be adopted.
  • Maryville, Court Street. Students will be volunteering with Keep Blount Beautiful from 2 until 5 p.m. Participants will be cleaning up litter along the Maryville College Adopt-A-Mile section of Court Street.
  • Maryville, Broadway Towers. Students will be assisting senior citizen residents from 2 until 6 p.m. While at Broadway Towers, they will play board games and horseshoes with seniors; some may give female residents makeovers.
  • Maryville, Everett Recreation Center. From 5 until 9 p.m., students will help out with the Parks and Recreation Department's Pre-Halloween Carnival. Students will run carnival games, help with crafts and a costume contest, set up and clean up.

WHY: "Not only does an initiative like Make a Difference Day promote student responsibility to service, it also creates a genuine experience of civic attachment. By introducing students to the significance of community partnerships, the event encourages further participation and activism in their non-academic lives," said Nick Roberts, the College's associate for service, missions and outreach.

Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state‘s third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2012 semester was 1,093.