SPEAK UP FOR SERVICE DAY
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SPEAK UP FOR SERVICE DAY
Speak Up For Service Day on October 30th recognizes the importance of young people to be actively involved in community service. Too often, the good deeds of young people go unnoticed by their communities. Speak Up For Service Day gives recognition to the overlooked. It serves as a reminder to tell others about the contributions of young people to their communities.
#SpeakUpForServiceDay
Each year, the Speak Up For Service public speaking contest is held in conjunction with the North Dakota State Lions Convention. Other Lions Clubs and Districts throughout North America sponsor similar public speaking contests. Young people share their insight on issues of the day. Additionally, they speak about the contributions of Lions to making the world a better place.
The primary goal of Speak Up for Service Day is to shift focus and empower the next generation of community leaders:
Recognition: To highlight the immense hard work, dedication, and positive impact that young people contribute to their communities (through volunteering, fundraising, clean-ups, etc.).
Amplification: To encourage the community to actively speak up about these service initiatives. When communities recognize youth service, it inspires further involvement and boosts the confidence of young people.
Skill Development: To promote public speaking as an essential tool for effective service. The underlying belief is that an active volunteer who can also articulate the mission and success of their project can inspire many more people to join the cause.
While the global causes define their international impact, most of the day-to-day work of Lions Clubs happens at the local level. Lions Clubs are involved in youth programs to provide support to youth in their area.
HOW TO OBSERVE SPEAK UP FOR SERVICE DAY
Speak up about service initiatives in your community. Recognize the youth in your community for the projects they support and initiate. When we give credit to their hard work, our communities thrive. Assist organizations with creating opportunities for youth to get involved. As the young people in your life become involved, you will see their confidence grow. Their positive impact on their community will leave a lasting impression, too. As you celebrate, be sure to invite others to join you!
Use #SpeakUpForServiceDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL SPEAK UP FOR SERVICE DAY HISTORY
The Mandan Lions Club founded National Speak Up For Service Day in 2014. The Registrar at National Day Calendar® proclaimed the observance to be celebrated on October 30th, annually.
The Speak Up For Service Project's history began in 2003. The Fargo, ND, Lions Club initiated a public speaking contest for area high school students in honor of Laura Christensen Espejo. Laura devoted her life to improving the health care services available to the less fortunate in the Fargo community and Peru, the country of her husband, Lucho. Lion Robert Littlefield coordinated the contest on the local level. Soon, he was launching it as a statewide initiative while serving as District Governor in 2010-2011.
In 2010, the Lions Club held its first annual Lions Speak Up For Service public speaking contest. Contestants spoke at the North Dakota State Lions Convention in Grand Forks. High school students who entered the competition spoke on topics related to young people and community service. Brent Johnson, a senior at Shanley High School, won the first-ever Speak Up For Service Contest. Johnson and the other contestants received scholarships for their participation in the event.