On Thursday, Oct. 9, the 32nd annual Day of Caring will put United Way’s “Live United” motto into action with hands-on service projects across the community.

Centre County United Way Executive Director Megan Evans called the event’s longevity remarkable.

“Every year there’s still that enthusiasm, and people are excited to come out, which to me speaks to this community, how giving and engaged people are and how much they want to help these nonprofits, who quietly do their work everyday serving thousands of people,” Evans said.

Since its inception, Day of Caring has mobilized 70,000 volunteers to tackle over 3,600 projects in the community. Over the past 30 years, the day of service is estimated to have saved local nonprofits and the county nearly $11 million.

PHOTOS PROVIDED An image is shown from last year’s Day of Caring.

Each project benefits local nonprofit agencies and organizations, with volunteer help from Penn State students and staff, athletic teams, local businesses and clubs, faith-based groups, regional school districts and individual community members.

Evans and Event Coordinator Celesta Powell, who joined commissioners Tuesday to officially proclaim Oct. 9 as a “Day of Caring” in Centre County, said one of the most impressive aspects of the day is the participation of hundreds of Bellefonte Area High School students.

“Through the streets of Bellefonte you will see a large amount of high schoolers,” said Powell. “Do not fret. They are doing good work.”

She credited 11th- and 12th-grade Vice Principal Andy Caruso with helping recruit roughly 400 juniors and seniors, who make up a sizable portion of the day’s volunteers.

“It is amazing. People are in full force everywhere,” said Powell.

PHOTOS PROVIDED An image is shown from last year’s Day of Caring.

This year, volunteers will lend a hand to nonprofits and community programs including Union Cemetery, Centre County Library, the Historical Museum at the Miles-Hume House, Youth Service Bureau, Centre Care, Centre Helps and Centre Safe, among others.

The work done by Day of Caring volunteers spans activities including cleaning, painting, rearranging, landscaping and repair.

United Way representatives said that at least one of this year’s projects is already underway. Yesterday, Marcon Roofing completed an expensive roof replacement for Strawberry Fields, Inc., an organization that enriches the lives of people with disabilities.

The United Way encouraged anyone interested to get involved, noting that even volunteers with just an hour to spare can contribute at Centre Furnace Mansion next Thursday.

Afterwards, “People who have been out working all day can come to Champs to have some food and drink, just socialize and talk about what they did,” Powell said.

The afterparty, sponsored by PNC, will run from 4 to 6 p.m. and replaces the United Way’s usual volunteer breakfast, which had experienced declining attendance.

“Not everyone is a morning person,” so, she said, “this time we will celebrate a day well done.”

Commissioners thanked PNC for sponsoring the event and both the hundreds of past volunteers and those joining the effort this year.

“This is such a great example of how our community can come together to help out the organizations that do so much for our community in turn,” said Commissioner Amber Concepcion, while noting the county’s emphasis on encouraging volunteerism.

“Hopefully some of the folks who come out for Day of Caring find an organization they’d be interested in volunteering with on a regular basis,” she said.

PHOTO PROVIDED From left are Commissioner Amber Concepcion, Commissioner Chair Mark Higgins, United Way Event Coordinator Celesta Powell, United Way Executive Director Megan Evans and Commissioner Steve Dershem.

Commissioner Steve Dershem said he would be remiss if he didn’t recognize Colonel Gerald Russell, whom he described as a local hero.

In the early 1990s, Russell served on the Centre County United Way Board of Directors and was passionate about finding new ways to support area agencies beyond financial contributions — leading to the creation of the Day of Caring. Colonel Russell passed away in 2014 at the age of 97.

“His spirit and memory lives on, hopefully forever in this project. He was an amazing man and very influential in the establishment of this project,” Dershem said.

To register as a volunteer, please visit: www.ccunitedway.org/united-way-day-caring-powered-pnc

In other business commissioners:

— Approved a grant agreement with PennDOT to provide $285,000 in funding for the county to purchase vehicles for the Shared Ride Program.

— Approved a contract with Rohrer School & Commercial Bus Sales to purchase two vans, camera systems for the vans and a rear-entry conversion van. The purchases amount to $297,000. The vehicles will be purchased using funds from the grant agreement and $11,000 in state funding. This allows the county to expand its fleet to accommodate changing needs in the Borough of Bellefonte and the greater Centre Region while incurring virtually no cost.

— Approved the Fiscal year 24-25 fourth quarter Drug and Alcohol Report.

According to Commissioner Dershem, Centre County has had only three or four overdoses this year.

“One of the best measures of a Drug and Alcohol Department is overdoses, and in Centre County they have always been low, and almost unbelievably so now thanks to your group, the many different nonprofits you work with, the providers you contract with and the ready availability of narcan. They are numbers I don’t think we’ve ever seen before,” said Commissioner Mark Higgins.

— Appointed Cameron Fye to the Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority through Dec. 31, 2028, Linda Marshal to the Housing Authority through Jan. 31, 2027 and reappointed Thomas Boldin, Gillian Warner and Joel Myers to the Ag Land Preservation Board through Aug. 31, 2028.