DAVIS COUNTY ó The Eccles Foundation has pledged that 26 youth-led community-based service projects can receive up to $1,000 as part of the Utah Youth Service Marathon. ##M:MORE##

The utah-based youth service organization, Youth LINC, is the lead partner in the marathon. Students from Davis, Viewmont, Bountiful, Woods Cross, Layton and other high schools in the county have participated in YouthLINC, traveling around the world.

The deadline for project proposals is Oct. 24, 2008. Proposals can be accessed at www.servicemarathon.org.

ìThe Service Marathon will involve thousands of Utah youth during the 2008-09 school year planning and leading community based projects that meet a variety of needs, from homelessness to the environment, from health and fitness to literacy, from special needs to refugees,î said executive director of YouthLINC, Judy Zone.

Zone said that the purpose of the service marathon is to demonstrate the power of youth to change communities.

Applications will be reviewed for the 26 flagship projects. Applications will be judged partly by those that involve significant numbers of youth to meet a described and serious community need. Partners will also be looking for careful planning and the ability to carry the project forward. Community awareness is also essential, along with volunteers and donations. They will also be looking for projects that span several months.

ìThe Utah Youth Service Marathon gives students the opportunity to take a leadership role in addressing a need in their community, and will allow them to make a positive difference through service,î said chair of the service marathon, Emily Brown.

Utah Youth Service Marathon partners expect to fund projects as equally across the state as possible. Each project should have some culminating event on April 25, 2009, Global Youth Service Day.

Partners include the Utah State Office of Education, Utah Commission on Volunteers, Utah Campus Compact, Association of Youth Councils, Utah Federation for Youth and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for Community of Caring.

For more information about the Utah Youth Service Marathon, contact Emily Brown, YouthLINC Assistant Executive Director and Chair of the Service Marathon at Emily@youthlinc.org or call 801-652-4844. Information is also available at www.youthlinc.org or www.servicemarathon.org.



sroberts@davisclipper.com