About 600 students and community members met Monday to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. through service. Though the morning dawned cold and snowy, only two of the 23 service projects planned for the day had to be cancelled.

The theme of BYU's eighth annual Community Outreach event was "Everybody can be great because anybody can serve," a quote from King.

Volunteers tied quilts and fleece blankets, colored alphabet books , made Valentine's cards for soldiers, decorated pillowcases, made beanies, colored lacing cards for a local head-start and made bookmarks for the Provo City Library. Many of these items will be distributed by the LDS Humanitarian Aid services. The projects were completed at BYU and other sites around the community such as Deseret Industries, and the Community Action Services and Food Bank.

When compared to other universities, BYU is known for its service, said one volunteer.

"At a lot of universities, students get a high off drugs and alcohol, but here at BYU we get high off service," the volunteer said.

Keri Chalk and Emily Cloward, two freshman girls who signed up to make hats for orphans in Russia, participated in Community Outreach Day with about 25 other people from their student ward.

"It is so neat that we are doing this together," Cloward said.

Fleece blankets made by student volunteers will be donated to Kids on the Move, a program helping children from abusive or neglectful families that are in the transition to foster care. Currently there are 1,300 children in the Provo-Orem area that are a part of this program.

"These blankets will be their comfort," said Jennifer Jones, chair of the committee for Service to the World.

In addition to the service projects, two devotional speakers spoke on the importance of service and the legacy left by King.

Scott Petersen, entrepreneur and BYU student ward bishop, addressed participants about individuals from history that have shaped the country and world through service. He encouraged students to follow the examples of Thomas Paine, Abigail Adams, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. by expanding their vision of service.

"I do not believe that you will spare effort," Petersen said. "And I believe in the lasting contributions you will make in your lifetime."

Former BYU football player Bryan Kehl also addressed volunteers. He encouraged everyone to be a soldier, defined as someone who stands up for something they believe in and continue serving.

"Service is not necessarily easy or convenient," Kehl said. "But it is something that will rest our souls."

According to estimates by the United Way, every volunteer hour in the Provo-Orem community is economically worth just under $20.

With around 600 volunteers, this could equal an economic impact of $12,000 said Casey Peterson, director of the Center for Service and Learning. However, he also noted that the impact of this service on people's lives can not be quantified.

Joseph Kelly, one of the employees of the Center for Service and Learning, liked seeing the impact BYU and UVSC can make when engaged in a good cause.

"As we reach out to serve together," Kelly said, "we are showing in a small way that we know the importance of equal rights and being a community."



Copyright Brigham Young University 22 Jan 2008