The largest annual service event of the year in Barnesville, the Great Day of Service, has been set for Saturday, May 12 this year. People young and old bring their enthusiasm, hard work and love together for the good of our community. In 2011, over 70 projects were completed with more than 400 people participating, a huge feat in only its third year of existence. The GDOS is sponsored each year by Barnesville First United Methodist Church and its pastor Jay Tenney. It was first conceived by one of its members, Barnesville Mayor Peter Banks, for people to come together on that one day to complete some much needed work projects in and around the city. Some of the projects are in public places while others are for needy individuals, such as constructing ramps for the handicapped at their homes. Mark Stone is this year’s GDOS chairman and he’s already planning the event. ’This year, we’ll use two registration forms, one for a proposed project and one for individuals who wish to join a team,’ Stone said. ’Kelly Hughes will receive the forms at the Barnesville-Lamar County Library, track the projects groups plan to tackle and assign folks to work teams and projects. A strong team of project captains has been assembled and will communicate with their respective groups of project leaders for pre-event prep and work progress.’ All forms should be returned to Hughes at the library. School groups, businesses, organizations and churches all attend, most with their own projects already identified and ready to go to work that day. This year’s GDOS theme is ‘Service…the Gift of Love.’ Each participant will receive a themed t-shirt that morning along with breakfast prior to heading out with their teams from the Lamar County Activity Center to perform their chosen projects. Once their project is finished and they return back to the center with their teams, they are treated to lunch at 1 p.m. ’It’s very exciting, especially if we get nice weather, to see all those folks giving of their time and talents that day to help others,’ Stone said. ‘Even the youth get involved, and in a big way, as in the past the high school JROTC, Beta Club, Trojan Band and many others organize to provide service. Our community benefits but more importantly, the participant benefits. It’s truly a Great Day of Service.’ Registration or project forms are available at http://www.barnesvillefumc.org. For more information call Mark Stone at 770-358-6939.
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