More than 5,500 volunteers showed up to schools and nonprofit agencies throughout the Tri-County area on Friday to participate in Trident United Way’s 17th annual Day of Caring. Donning blue Day of Caring shirts, volunteer groups from 133 companies completed 277 projects occurring from Awendaw to St. Stephen and everywhere in between.
“That was the most fun I’ve had in 20 years,” said Stephen Brisben of SC Ports Authority as he and coworkers visited classrooms at W.B. Goodwin Elementary School to read stories and assist with projects. “We were working in different centers in the classroom with three year-olds building a castle. They told me that I looked like Christmas.”
Trident United Way calculated that nonprofit agencies and schools will receive a total of 28,249 volunteer hours on the 17th annual Day of Caring. Teams also purchased supplies for projects.
“Day of Caring is such a great day in the community and we know a lot of companies look forward to it every year,” Trident United Way Volunteer Engagement Manager Amanda Netsch said. “We spend all year planning this event and we love to hear about the companies that form a relationship with the agency it partners with on Day of Caring. Sometimes companies choose to stay involved year-round with that particular agency and others want to partner with the same group year after year to watch continued growth in the community.”
The InterTech Group is an example of a company that continues to partner with Lowcountry Food Bank each year as more than 30 volunteers teamed up with groups from five other companies to sort and pack food. Meanwhile Student Transportation of America began a new tradition by pairing with Malcolm C. Hursey Elementary School for its first Day of Caring to wash walls, put together bookcases and plant fall flowers.
Day of Caring volunteers had an opportunity to receive as well as give this year by taking part in Trident United Way’s social media contest. Participants uploaded their Day of Caring photos to Facebook and/or Twitter, tagged Trident United Way and used the #DayOfCaring hashtag to be entered to win a Kickin’ Chicken Food Truck Party for 75 people. The post with the most votes, Equiscript with a total of 234 likes on its post on Facebook, won.
Click here to see photos from the 17th annual Day of Caring!
Click here to see the 2017 Day of Caring Thank You Video!
Click here to see media coverage for Day of Caring.