Each year, the William and Mary Office of Volunteer Services hosts Make a Difference Day, an event designed to bring William and Mary students together with community groups, hopefully for years to come.

The national Make a Difference Day falls on Homecoming this year, so William and Mary students and alumni chapters have chosen to help out on a different date. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 21. During William and Mary’s largest one-day volunteer event, close to 800 student volunteers complete approximately 40 service projects.

Make a Difference Day has also been embraced by alumni chapters all over the country. This year, the event will be sponsored by the Greater Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Northern Florida, Williamsburg, Lower Peninsula, South Hampton Roads, Northern New Jersey, Botetourt, Charlottesville, Richmond, Baltimore/Annapolis, Philadelphia and Southwestern Florida alumni chapters. The Charleston and Roanoke chapters will also sponsor other community service projects in October.

Volunteers often establish strong relationships with community groups: student group Balfour Hillel started visiting the Boys and Girls Club of Newport News, Va., on Make a Difference Day and has been returning regularly ever since. Alumni chapters had not been attached to specific community groups as of press time.