MARION, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—In a display of community spirit and youth leadership, more than 800 students from Harding High School traded their textbooks for tools on Thursday, May 14 to participate in United Service Day. Since 2014, the annual collaborative effort between United Way of North Central Ohio, Marion City Schools, and the Harding High School Student Council sends student volunteers to perform service activities at local businesses and organizations across Marion.
2026 United Service Day started with a pep rally kickoff at Harding High School, where students were thanked, motivated, and prepared for the tasks ahead. Highlighting the importance of workplace safety, Chris Sanders, Mill Production Scheduler at Nucor Marion, delivered a pre-job safety briefing; Nucor also generously supplied the necessary PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for the day’s projects.
Throughout the day, students were seen engaged in a wide variety of tasks, including cleaning, organizing, painting, and landscaping, at 30 locations across Marion. United Service Day aims not only to provide immediate physical improvements and assistance to local organizations, but also to foster a commitment to citizenship and volunteerism for the students.
The event was the result of months of planning coordinated by United Way Development Director Heath Ring and Community Impact Director Erica Hart, who worked closely with Mr. Patrick Fagan, Harding High School government teacher, and the Student Council. “Seeing the energy and dedication of these students is truly inspiring,” said Ring. “This was my first United Service Day as part of the United Way team, and I was awed by the enthusiasm of everyone involved.”
“As a Harding student and a member of Student Council, I’m happy we get to work with United Way in Marion County for a day of community service,” said Sofya Hart-Sedykh, United Service Day participant. “United Way has an important role in supporting our community, but what really makes a community great is the interconnectedness between local businesses, nonprofits, and most of all, the people. United Service Day shows us at our best.”
United Service Day students and teachers were easily identifiable in event t-shirts created by the talented crew at Marca Industries’ ReMARCAbly Made and provided by United Way of North Central Ohio. UWNCO’s partnership in the event was made possible through the generous sponsorship of Marion County Solar Project.