By Amber Alarid, JVA Consulting

A Larimer County tradition is gaining national recognition for the second time around, highlighting the deep commitment residents have to community building. As a nominee for the 2013 All-Star Award, Larimer County is being recognized yet again (having been recognized as a 2009 Make a Difference Day honoree) for its outstanding efforts in community service.

For the thirteenth year in a row, United Way of Larimer County is coordinating a widespread effort to encourage volunteerism among passionate individuals and groups within the county, as part of Make a Difference Day. Though the national Make a Difference Day movement advocates for a daylong celebration of community service—typically in support of specific projects—Larimer County extends the event, offering a full week of service opportunities with a multitude of service sites to choose from. The increased amount of time for volunteering is a testament to “such an involved group of volunteers,” says Kate Hagdorn, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for United Way of Larimer County.

In 2012, the Larimer County Make a Difference Day attracted more than 2,700 volunteers, giving more than 11,000 hours of their time to approximately 100 charitable projects. The volunteer efforts for that week were valued at more than $240,000.

Hagdorn credits the success of the day to the eager volunteers that mark their calendars for this annual event and the enthusiastic new volunteers that participate in Make a Difference Day as a “gateway to volunteerism.” “We coordinate the project, but we couldn’t do it without the 2,700 volunteers who give their time,” says Hagdorn. She is honored to be nominated and hopes to win to gain exposure for and express gratitude to the volunteers who make the event possible.

The winner is selected through a public vote, which started Friday, March 1 and ends Sunday, March 10. New links are posted each day and voters are allowed to vote once a day for their favorite Make a Difference Day celebration. Voters can learn more about the nominees and vote for their favorite through a link in this USA Weekend article.

For those who want to get involved as volunteers, mark your calendars for late October when Make a Difference Day takes place. To ensure you don’t miss out on any of the details, sign up for the United Way of Larimer County’s e-newsletter. If you don’t want to wait to make an impact in your community through service, visit the volunteer resource page on the United Way of Larimer County’s website and find volunteer opportunities that match your skills and interests.

To learn more about how your organization or community can participate in Make a Difference Day as a volunteer site or group, visit http://makeadifferenceday.com/getting-started/. And, don’t forget to vote early and often for the United Way of Larimer County for this year’s All-Star Award.