SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) – The communities of Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights and Orangevale will come together for the eighth annual Big Day of Service (BDOS) on Saturday, May 16, inviting the public to pitch in to help complete dozens of community service projects throughout the area.

This year, there are projects of all types and categories suitable for all ages and abilities, including murals to be painted, trails to be cleared, flowers to plant, landscaping to refresh, and quality time to spend with those who may need it most.

Volunteer signups for the Big Day of Service, presented by the Rotary Clubs of Fair Oaks and Orangevale, opened on Wednesday, April 15.

A volunteer check-in and a kickoff rally will take place at Bella Vista High School at 8301 Madison Ave. in Fair Oaks on Saturday, May 16 between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m.

Check in, t-shirt pick up and a grab-and-go breakfast are then followed by a community rally from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

Individual projects in each of the three communities typically last from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers are invited in advance of the event to view and sign up, space available, for a specific project at: https://www.bigdayofservice.us/ in advance.

“There’s an opportunity for everyone of all ages to get involved and a project certain to match their interest and skills,” said Marisa Brown, Citrus Heights communications officer.

In all, some 50 to 60 projects will be available for community volunteers to complete during the Big Day of Service.

Volunteers are needed to paint spaces at local schools, complete garden clean-up projects, play board games with senior citizens, make care kits for deployed military, craft blankets for children in need, write encouragement cards for shut-in neighbors or help with a grocery store food drive, just to name a few.

Event organizers said early volunteers at 6:30 a.m. are also being sought for the event’s welcome and logistics crew at 6:30 a.m. to help with event set up with t-shirt distribution, breakfast and to clean up after the rally.

Last year, the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce teamed up with the Rotary clubs of Fair Oaks and Orangevale and the Orangevale-Fair Oaks Community Foundation to bring the inaugural Big Day of Service to the city of Citrus Heights for the first time.

Projects to be completed in Citrus Heights include landscaping at the Citrus Heights Community Veterans Center and Tempo Park.

Landscaping volunteers are being sought to spread fresh bark to refresh the Arcade Creek Trail at Mitchell Village Park while builders are needed to create a secure and welcoming space at the Sunrise Christian Food Ministry for the food closet storage yard.

A splash of color will be added to an exterior wall of the Sunrise Marketplace District office as art enthusiasts will be called to help paint a vibrant paint-by-number mural.

The grounds of Grand Oaks Elementary School will be refreshed as both walkway footprints and a U.S. playground map will receive fresh paint, and a new stepping-stone pathway will be created.

At Skycrest Elementary School, new classroom numbers will be stenciled, and stars will be painted on the playground to create a stellar learning environment. A student garden and front planters will be also refreshed with fresh bark.

Cat lovers will have an opportunity to spruce up the yard and grounds of the FieldHaven Cat Sanctuary on Old Auburn Boulevard and add some sparkle to a memorial garden to honor and remember cherished feline friends.

At the C-Bar-C Park located at 8275 Oak Ave., volunteers will help repair picnic tables and benches and paint the park entry gates.

Volunteers are invited to help transform the Citrus Heights Police Department's patio at 6315 Fountain Square Drive into a break area for its hardworking officers by refurbishing furniture and adding new seating and shade.

The 2026 Big Day of Service (BDOS) sponsors include the Rotary Club of Fair Oaks, the Orangevale Rotary Club and the Citrus Heights Rotary Club, with main sponsors, Rosario Rodriguez, County Supervisor; the Orangevale-Fair Oaks Community Foundation, Sunrise Community Church, Delta Dental, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, SMUD and Helix Electric.

Additional sponsors include Republic Services, Assemblyman Josh Hoover and Miller’s Ace Hardware.

Community partners also include Orangevale Recreation and Parks District, Sunrise Recreation and Parks District, the San Juan Unified School District and the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District.

For more information about the upcoming Big Day of Service on Saturday, May 16, call 916-238-8868 or email [email protected]. A complete list of the available projects in the combined communities of Citrus Heights, Orangevale and Fair Oaks is listed at serve.bigdayofservice.us/.