CANTON – Members of the Canton community are invited to volunteer on Make a Difference Day, Saturday, Oct. 19, sponsored by St. Mary's Church, Canton Catholic Campus Ministry, St. Lawrence University, and the Canton Chamber of Commerce.

High school and college students, alumni, business owners, and community members will be working side-by-side to improve the village of Canton.

Some of the service activities planned for Make a Difference Day include yard work and maintenance for elderly homeowners, maintenance on the school playgrounds, clean up at village parks, church grounds, litter and weeds in parking lots and other clean up activities at public sites in the village.

Volunteers are needed between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Headquarters for the event this year is at Lee Lounge (building next to Eben Holden) on the campus of St. Lawrence University.

The kickoff for the event will be at 10 a.m. Community volunteers are asked to park in the lot across from the football field, J Lot.

This is the 19th year of the community-wide Make a Difference Day, said a press release from organizers. Last year was a big success, the press release said, with high school students, college students and community members pitching in on projects around the village, bringing crews of college students to the homes of elderly Canton residents to rake leaves, putting up storm windows, and completing other small maintenance chores.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring tools and businesses may wish to donate rakes, paper leaf bags, work gloves, or refreshments to the volunteer crews. To donate contact Ashlee Downing at 315-229-5135 or the St. Mary's Church office at 315-386-2543.

To add a senior residence in need of volunteer work to the list, call Campus Ministry at 315-386-2543.