"Day to Serve" Reception in Annapolis

In the LDS Church, we have a lay clergy. This means that no one gets paid for their church service, and all of us receive "callings" (or assignments) that allow us to contribute in some way to our congregations or to the church in general. 

One of my callings is to help with public affairs work for the church in the DC area. I recently attended a reception in Annapolis about last year's "Day to Serve." Day to Serve is an opportunity for members of the community and those of various faiths to come together to feed the hungry and heal the planet. (You might recall our "Pack the Pantries" activity for "Day to Serve" 2012.) The event spans the states of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and we are fortunate to have the support of the governors of the three states and the mayor of DC. This year, Day to Serve projects will take place from September 15th to September 29th. You can learn more at http://www.daytoserve.org. :)

Now back to the actual reception! It was the kick-off for a special exhibit about last year's Day to Serve that is currently on display in the Miller Senate Office Building in Annapolis. There were remarks and acknowledgments by the governor and various faith/community leaders (including Elder Jack Gerard, our Area Authority 70 (aka an LDS Church bigwig, in layman's terms) and Coach Ken Niumatalolo, head football coach of the U.S. Naval Academy and member of the LDS Church).

Below are a few photos from the event:

Walking through the exhibit with Governor O'Malley

Before the remarks, Colours, a group of young singers/dancers, entertained us.
And then they scared us all by dragging us out to dance with them!

Getting serenaded.

Not even the governor was safe.

L-R: President & Sister Matsumori of the Washington DC North Mission,  Governor O'Malley, Elder Gerard (our Area Authority 70)

Governor O'Malley with Coach Niumatalolo

I'll definitely share more updates as the time gets closer. For now, be sure you clear your calendar now to be part of this great effort in September! :)

*All photos shared under a Creative Commons license and are courtesy of the Executive Office of the Governor.*