Brock students are ready to show the local community some love Saturday.

The annual Brock Cares Day of Service will see students head out into various Niagara municipalities on the afternoon of Sept. 9 to volunteer their time at community organizations.

New and returning Badgers will play cards and visit with residents at Linhaven, a long-term care facility in St. Catharines; prepare donations for the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Pelham; and aid the Niagara Farm Project in Grimsby, among other initiatives.

They will host a series of fundraising car washes in support of the Alternative Reading Week program, which allows students to participate in volunteer work both in the local community and abroad. The car washes, each from 1 to 3:30 p.m., will be held at Foodland, 9 Pine St. N. in Thorold; Sobeys, 343 Glendale Ave., and Cat’s Caboose, 224 Glenridge Ave., both in St. Catharines.

The purpose of the day is to welcome students to Niagara, while also connecting them with community organizations they could potentially volunteer with during their time in the region, said Kristen Smith, Brock’s Manager of Community Outreach Programs.

“It’s about showing the Brock culture, showing we care about the region we live in and encouraging students to make the most of their experience here,” she said.

The student-led initiative is hosted by Student Life and Community Experience in collaboration with the Brock University Students’ Union.

Volunteer and student leadership positions are still available for Brock Cares, which is also open to faculty and staff. Registration can be done online by end of day Friday, Sept. 8. More information is also available by e-mailing kristen.smith@brocku.ca.

Following Brock Cares, the University will host VolunteerFEST on Wednesday, Sept. 13, when 45 community organizations will gather in Market Hall to share information about the work they do.