Three years ago, 500 Cornell students gave up one of their Saturdays to work in the community as part of Into the Streets. This year, for the 17th annual Into the Streets event, more than 1,100 volunteers hammered, scrubbed, painted and weeded to make Oct. 25 Ithaca's largest day of service.

Timed to coincide with national "Make a Difference Day," 130 teams of students led by student team leaders fanned out across the city and into nearby communities to help more than 50 nonprofit and public organizations, from the Southside Community Center and the Greater Ithaca Activities Center to Books Thru Bars, Cayuga Nature Center, Titus Towers and the Ithaca Downtown Partnership.

The day began in Barton Hall for team meetings and a kickoff ceremony with speeches by Cornell President David Skorton, Vice President for Student and Academic Services Susan Murphy and Brittney Shulman '10, board president of Into the Streets.

"Into the Streets focuses on promoting social responsibility and commitment to public service among college students," says Leonardo Vargas-Mendez, executive director of Cornell's Public Service Center. "This one-day service experience allows students to learn about the surrounding community and gain experience in public service and volunteering.

The event is part of more than 30 programs administered by the Cornell Public Service Center. It is sponsored by the Triad Foundation and the Carol Tatkon Center.