About one hundred UT students took part in the seventh annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service earlier this week.

Students met at 7:45 a.m. on Monday and were given a short presentation.

Members of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity also came and spoke about Martin Luther King Jr. Students then boarded the buses and got to their assigned volunteer sites no later than 9 a.m.

Students from UT volunteered at six different agencies: Lowry Park Zoo, Cracker Country, Kid’s City, Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful, Hudson Manor, and Bakas Equestrian Center.

These centers were chosen as volunteer sites for the event because they are often the ones in the most need, and are the ones visited the most throughout the year.

Carrie Collins, Head Coordinator of the P.E.A.C.E. volunteer center, said that these organizations also understood the power and meaning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

“These organizations are committed to what he stood for,” she said.

Collins described the MLK Day of Service as a “day on” for students. “We were excited with the turnout, and excited students were willing to give up their last day of break to come and volunteer.”

Collins said that this year’s event definitely had a larger turn out that in previous years.

“Faculty and staff turnout was amazing,” said Collins, who expressed appreciation for their support of this event. “The Diplomats were also a great help, and it was nice to see Dr. Vaughn also stop by.”

Students ended their day of service when buses returned to campus around 1 p.m.

Sponsored by P.E.A.C.E., the MLK Day of Service has provided students an opportunity to volunteer since 2001.