Planning club activities around the following national celebrations or events could give local media outlets a natural local angle to a national story. If you are already planning a Sertoma project, think about giving it a new twist and tie it into one of the following:

January - Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
February - National Heritage Month
February - President's Day
March - First day of Spring
April - Sertoma's Birthday (founded in 1912)
April - Youth Service Day
April - Earth Day
April - National Volunteer Week
May Better Hearing & Speech Month
May - Join Hands Day
May - Memorial Day
June - Flag Day
July - Independence Day
September - Labor Day
October - Columbus Day
October - World Food Day
October - Make a Difference Day
November - Election Day
November - Veterans Day
November - National Philanthropy Day

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Some Useful Web Sites:

Sertoma Headquarters (www.sertoma.org) - The Headquarters site is a work in progress that has a wealth of information, including Sertoma's mission statement; Sertoma history; SERTOMA SAFEEARS! information and sample press releases; club URLs and meeting locations (be sure to update this information so that potential members can find you); staff and Board contacts; scholarship information; and more. Also included are downloadable logos and forms; sample PR tools and guidelines; and so many more resources.

Earth Day Network (www.earthday.org) - Earth Day and You - Whether you are just starting to think about what you can do for the Earth or have been organizing for years, there are many ways to involve your work, school, community or faith group in environmental protection.

Join Hands Day (www.joinhandsday.org) - Join Hands Day is the first Saturday in May. It is the national day each year when young people and adults tackle a local problem right where they live. This is the only day on the national calendar that targets and develops youth/adult relationships through neighborhood volunteering. On Join Hands Day, adults and young people work as equal partners to plan and carry out a project together. These experiences help them break down stereotypes and discover the real truth about each other. The new partnerships will be an important first step in bringing more young people into leadership roles in many organizations.

Make A Difference Day (www.usaweekend.com/diffday) - Make a Difference Day is a unique program that inspires and rewards volunteers. Created by USA Weekend magazine, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. It is a national day of helping others, a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Everyone who helps others on Make a Difference Day and sends in an entry form is eligible for awards, including $10,000 donations from Paul Newman.

The National Flag Day Foundation, Inc. (www.flagday.org) - There are many educational resources available through this Web site.

Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network (www.pointsoflight.org) - Founded in May 1990, the Foundation is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization devoted to promoting volunteerism. The Foundation's mission is to engage more people more effectively in volunteer service to help solve serious social problems.

The Prudential Youth Leadership Institute (www.pyli.org) - Help young people become today's leaders. The mission: Provide youth with the encouragement, peer networks and leadership skills necessary for them to make meaningful contributions to their communities and begin a life-long journey of leadership and service.

Servenet (www.servenet.org) - The premier Web site for service and volunteering … many, many useful links of all kinds from this Web site. Many ideas for community service/sponsorship projects.

Youth Service America (www.ysa.org) - Sponsors National Youth Service Day, which is the largest service event in the world, mobilizing millions of young Americans to identify and address the needs of their communities through service. National Youth Service Day is also an opportunity to support youth on a life-long path of service and civic engagement and educate the public, the media and elected officials about the role of youth as community leaders.

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