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Dear Colleagues:
You did it! The 2008 King Day of Service was an extraordinary success. We surpassed our goals on every front – number of volunteers, projects, organizations, media coverage, elected officials, and corporate involvement. From our largest cities to tiny towns and everywhere in between, Americans came out in historic numbers to honor Dr. King through service that brings people together.
Here’s a quick snapshot of what we know, and we’re still getting in reports that keep pushing the numbers and accomplishments higher:
- More than 500,000 volunteers served in more than 5,200 projects in all 50 states
- The number of groups organizing King Day projects more than doubled, from 862 to 2,197
- Record participation from elected officials including President George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, Members of Congress, Governors, and Mayors
- Growing corporate involvement from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses
- Major national and local media coverage including NBC, ABC, CNN, Fox, USA Today and AP
You can get more detailed information by reading this factsheet. Please help us by sharing this information with everyone you know who cares about service, King Day, or the quality of life in your communities!
Our partners tell us and news stories across the country confirm that this was a breakthrough year. As Americans came out to serve in record numbers, they also heard a very important message – that one day is not enough, and King Day represents a call for year-round service. Realizing Dr. King’s dream will take sustained effort, and I am delighted that so many organizations are keeping the momentum going through such initiatives as 40 Days of Nonviolence: Building the Beloved Community, the King Center’s Pledge of Nonviolence; Semester of Service, and mentoring recruitment efforts like National Mentoring Month.
On behalf of our staff and Board, thanks to our great partner the King Center, to our five King Day of Service grantees (the Arizona Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, Points of Light & Hands On Network, National Alliance of Faith and Justice, the Corps Network, and Service for Peace), to the thousands of groups that organized projects, and to the hundreds of thousands of Americans who came out to honor this great hero by taking action in their communities. Thanks to your historic efforts we have moved closer to the day when America fully realizes Dr. King’s ideals.
Please check out our http://www.mlkday.gov website for photos, videos, and news from around the country, and thank you for making it a day on, not a day off.
In service,
David Eisner
CEO, Corporation for National and Community Service
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Fact Sheet: 2008 King Day of Service is Largest Ever
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