Students at Utah Valley State College and Brigham Young University will swap sleep for service on Jan. 17 as they honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a Community Outreach Day.

Hundreds of UVSC students will celebrate Civil Rights Day and King's birthday by participating in 12 different community service projects available at the BYU Wilkinson Student Center from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"Many view the holiday as a day off from work," said Alexis Palmer, coordinator for the UVSC Center for Service and Learning. "It's not a day off; it's a day on. The day of service is an opportunity to make a difference in the community and to educate ourselves on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s commitment to service."

Service projects include knitting hats, putting together hygiene supplies, assembling activity kits, painting toy cars and making stationary paper.

Most projects will be sent to fill local needs of Utah organizations such as Kids On The Move, Head Start, youth detention centers and the Utah Food and Care Coalition; however, some projects will cross borders and reach needy individuals all over the world.

Hygiene kits assembled for the LDS Humanitarian Center may be shipped internationally to help tsunami victims in Southern Asia. The painted toy cars will be sent to needy children in South America. Some knitted hats may be sent to a deserving orphanage in Russia.

UVSC often combines efforts with the BYU Center for Service and Learning to make a difference in the community. This year marks the third year of the Community Outreach Day partnership between UVSC and BYU.