Governor Hogan Announces Day to Serve in Maryland

Volunteer Initiatives Include Quiet Waters Park Clean Up, 5K Run To Remember Heroes

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan today issued a proclamation declaring September 11 through October 10 as Day to Serve month in Maryland. As part of the announcement, Governor Hogan is encouraging all Maryland citizens and state employees to choose a day to participate in or to host a volunteer activity. The Day to Serve initiative includes Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia, each of which tracks statistics including the number of volunteers, hours served, pounds of food, and supplies donated in a friendly competition. In 2018, more than 25,000 Marylanders dedicated more than 70,000 hours for 270 volunteer activities for communities across Maryland.

“The Day to Serve initiative unites Marylanders in their volunteer efforts and recognizes the excellent community service that occurs year-round in our great state,” said Governor Hogan. “Our compassionate citizens make Maryland a leading state for volunteerism with their incredible dedication, and these selfless acts bring great pride to communities and our state.”

The Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives will kick off Day to Serve on September 11 at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis. Volunteers from the Office of Governor, the Governor’s Coordinating Offices, state agencies, and the local community will work alongside Marylanders to clean up the park, organize a 9/11 remembrance ceremony, and host a 5K run to support Wreaths Across America with Ms. Cathy Powers.

Ms. Powers, a Gold Star Mom, started the “Running Fir Wreaths” initiative in memory of her son, SRA Bryce Powers, and all veterans past, present, and future. Her goal is to run 1,000 miles across 50 states and earn support for 7,777 wreaths – one for each day her son was alive. Maryland is her 42nd stop. To join kick-off events, please click here.

To further promote the spirit of volunteerism, Governor Hogan has once again granted four hours of administrative leave for state employees to participate in a volunteer activity of their choice from September 11 to October 10. In addition to the many state employees who will be participating as individuals, several agencies plan to organize projects throughout the state to encourage employee participation.

“Governor Hogan’s continued support of volunteerism is essential for the success of Day to Serve,” said Steve McAdams, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives. “As our office travels across the state to meet with thousands of Marylanders every single month, we have seen first-hand the tremendously positive impact our volunteers create by addressing the issues affecting Maryland and building stronger and healthier communities.”

Volunteers and state employees are encouraged to post pictures from their service activity with the hashtags “#MDDTS2019” and “#iServeMD” to Facebook and/or Twitter and tag @MarylandGOCI.

Past Day to Serve events have varied from cleaning up parks, streams, and beaches to creating care packages for military troops and feeding the hungry. Marylanders looking for volunteer opportunities are encouraged to check the Day to Serve event map periodically, as events will continue to be added. Volunteer service event organizers are requested to register events on the Day to Serve webpage.

To learn more about Day to Serve, please click here.