Over 475 students will be wearing red t-shirts and volunteering to improve Walla Walla on Sunday, April 18, as part of Earth Week. More than 30 different service projects will take place as part of the second annual tri-college Walla Walla Spring Service Day, which includes students from Whitman College, Walla Walla University and Walla Walla Community College.

Many of the projects will have an environmental focus.

“[Volunteers will be] working on projects that we have solicited from agencies around town, most of them non-profit agencies,” said Ellie Veverka, community service coordinator at Walla Walla University.

The service projects range from stream restoration to replacing normal light bulbs with low energy consumption CFL bulbs to cleaning the bronze statues in downtown Walla Walla.

This is the second year that the three institutions have joined forces to collaborate on a service day. Last year’s joint Spring Service Day between Whitman and Walla Walla University was considered a success, so the colleges chose to join forces again. Before 2009, Walla Walla University had an annual Spring Service Day and Whitman an Earth Service Day, yet these were held as separate events on the colleges’ respective campuses.

Whitman Community Service Coordinator Lina Menard sees the collaboration as a good way to connect with students outside of the Whitman community.

“[Spring Service Day is great] for students to get to know each other, kind of bump elbows and see a different part of the community,” she said.

There are some important changes from last year’s event, including increased participation.

“Last year we had 300 people and around 20 projects, this year we are at 30 projects and 475 people,” Menard said.

In addition, local businesses have been invited to participate this year along with the students, staff and faculty from the three schools.

After the event, there will be a celebration for the participants on the Walla Walla University campus, hosted by the Network for Young Walla Walla. One of the network’s main goals is connecting students from the three schools. Thus, the Spring Service Day aligns well with its goal.

Whitman first-year William Newman-Wise, one of the organizers of the celebration, has high hopes for the event.

“[I want] people from Whitman to get to get to know people from Walla Walla University and Walla Walla Community College,” he said.

Along with socializing at the celebration, participants will get a chance discuss service-related issues in small groups.

First-year Zoe Ingerson, a Whitman student, signed up for the service project where students will replace normal light bulbs with energy-efficient CFL bulbs in the Jefferson Park neighborhood. Ingerson has participated in CFL community service projects through Whitman in the past, and she likes being involved in such a “tangible” project.

“I’m really excited about the possibility of working on community issues with other college students in Walla Walla because we are normally so removed from them,” she said.

Menard said the red t-shirts will help to demonstrate how many people are volunteering.

“It will really be a neat statement to have so many people with this t-shirt representing service here in Walla Walla,” said Menard.

There are still volunteer opportunities available. To sign up, contact Menard or go to wallawalla.edu/campus-life/spiritual-life/comoutreach/signup.php.