LOUISVILLE (March 27, 2019) – Mayor Greg Fischer today joined representatives from Metro United Way, Jefferson County Public Schools, Kentucky Derby Festival and a variety of nonprofits to kick off the eighth annual Mayor’s Give A Day Week of Service with support from Metro United Way, April 13-20, 2019
“Now, more than ever, it’s important that our community comes together to flex its social muscle to help those most in need,” said the Mayor. “Whether you give an hour, a day, donate blood, give food, clothing or simply help a neighbor, everyone can be a part of this special week.”
Last year’s Give A Day Week of Service produced a new world-record with more than 205,000 volunteers and acts of compassion. The Mayor said this year’s goal is to top that, with even more volunteers, donations and other good deeds.

“Although the focus is on this week of service, we’re proud to support our community in solving problems through volunteer service all year long,” said Theresa Reno-Weber, president and CEO of Metro United Way. “As a part of that continuous work, we are excited to again serve as the backbone of Mayor’s Give A Day by connecting volunteers to meaningful opportunities in bettering the community. Connecting people and partners with the resources, passion and expertise needed to get things done is at the heart of what we do at Metro United Way.”

Metro United Way supports the volunteer engagement platform for the Mayor’s Give a Day by connecting those who need help with those who want to help.
A sampling of this year’s projects and initiatives include:

• Return of Build a Bed on Saturday, April 13. This AmeriCorps-sponsored effort builds beds for children who otherwise don’t have one. With support of nearly a dozen local companies, including K&I Lumber, this project provides a bed, bedding, books and stuffed animals – some of the basics of a good night’s sleep.
• Thousands of volunteers will join together on Saturday, April 13 to pick up litter and beautify the city through the Brightside & Passport Health Plan Community-Wide Cleanup, one of the largest Give A Day service projects. To register for the Cleanup, visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/brightside/brightside-passport-health-plan-community-wide-cleanup. Additionally, volunteers can join Brightside on Sunday, Aril 14 for the annual Post-Thunder Over Louisville Cleanup on the Great Lawn.
• WE Day Kentucky will be celebrated by more than 2,400 students and adults on Tuesday, April 16 at The Kentucky Center. This is the organization’s 7th annual event, representing 400+ schools from across the Commonwealth, contributing 400+ service hours valued at a social impact of $10 million. This year’s goal for the students is to collect 100,000 personal care items for students in need. In addition, students and the business community will take part in the annual WE Walk for Compassion that afternoon.
• The American Red Cross’ inaugural Mayor’s Give A Day Blood Drive on Wednesday, April 17 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Kentucky International Convention Center. Make an appointment by visiting www.RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code: GiveADay.
• Random Acts of Kindness, a nonprofit started by Jefferson County Public School student Andrew Dunn, will be joining Barrett Middle School students on Thursday, April 18 to make 3,000 burritos to be donated to a local food pantry.
• Metro Parks, Louisville Parks Foundation, Great Lakes Brewing and Coca Cola are teaming up to plant trees on Arbor Day, Friday, April 19.
• Pedal Power and Kentucky Refugee Ministries are back for another year to give refurbished bikes to refugees. Bikes will be delivered to various locations throughout the week.
• Companies and organizations of all sizes will have employee teams in action, including GE Appliances, Texas Roadhouse, Brown-Forman, Louisville Parks Foundation and more.

Mayor Fischer noted that it’s vital to teach our young people the value of compassion. In 2018, more than 58,422 Jefferson County Public School students and teachers joined thousands of private and Catholic school students on service projects.

“The Mayor’s Give A Day initiative is a great opportunity each year for our students and staff to give back to the community that so often steps up and supports our school district,” JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said. “I’m proud that 100 percent of our schools will once again be participating–committing to cleaning up parks and playgrounds, collecting food and toiletries for local food banks and shelters, and so much more. It says a lot about the culture of our schools and the commitment of our students and staff that they remain dedicated to making an impact in their city.”

The Mayor said having Give A Day Week as the lead-up to the world-famous Kentucky Derby Festival (KDF) helps residents remember and plan for the service week each year and puts Louisville’s caring deeds in the world spotlight. For this year’s Give A Day Week, KDF will be offering an opportunity for volunteers to win tickets for a Thunder VIP Experience. The lucky winners must register at mygiveaday.com to volunteer for Give A Day by April 4 to be eligible to win. Two sets of (2) tickets will be given away.

“We’re happy to offer this small token of appreciation to a couple lucky volunteers who are participating in Give A Day,” said Mike Berry, President and CEO of the Kentucky Derby Festival. “The Festival is fortunate to have such a large network of volunteers. We couldn’t put on our events each spring without them.”
Individuals or groups wanting to find a project should visit www.mygiveaday.com, where projects and needs submitted by local non-profit agencies and other groups are listed. Mayor Fischer urged individuals and companies to also use the website to report their own community service.

Give A Day 2018 notable numbers:

• More than 3,250 business employees and students participated in the WE Walk for Compassion.
• More than 19,000 employees from local companies joined the Brightside & Passport Health Plan Community-Wide Cleanup, removing litter and debris from neighborhoods, parks and schools.
• Kroger stores collected more than 30,500 pounds of food for Dare to Care’s food pantry.
• Presbyterian Center USA brought 483 volunteers to assemble thousands of hygiene kits.