Tennessee is the Volunteer State and First Lady Maria Lee is looking to cultivate a heart for servitude in local youth.

Beginning at 11:30 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m., the Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge event calls all rising K-6th grade students to participate in service projects, such as lunch service and care package distribution for seniors.

During last year’s challenge, Tennessee Serves reports 195 students completed 3,363 hours of service across 43 counties in Tennessee. In order to complete the challenge, students must complete a service activity in at least two of the eight provided categories and serve a minimum of two hours:

• Giving baked goods and thank-you notes to first responders

• Playing bingo with the elderly at nursing homes

• Passing out quarters at local laundromats

• Placing flowers and flags on graves at the veteran’s cemetery

• Hosting local park clean-up days

• Raising money for nonprofit through lemonade stands

• Giving out free bus passes at the city bus terminal

• Holding neighborhood food drives

Over 3,000 children have participated in the summer challenge since 2019 and contributed to 11,147 in collective hours in communities across Tennessee.

The event will be held at the McMinnville-Warren County Senior Center, which is located at 1410 Sparta Street, Unit A2. Lunch and refreshments will be provided to participants and all children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

RSVP is available now by visiting tn.gov/firstlady.