As students and adults drive to school and work, their incessant commuting routine will be broken by volunteers in neon vests selling newspapers on the sidewalk for Kids Day, March 9.

Kids Day began in 1988 as a charity to support Children’s Hospital Central California, a non-profit children’s hospital and the 10th largest of its kind.

Several businesses and schools will sell newspapers, beginning at 5 a.m., for $1 each; either in competition, or as a volunteering project on their own. The annual event’s main sponsors are ABC 30 and The Fresno Bee. The Kids Day paper is a special edition of The Bee.

The Bee’s Editorial page editor, Jim Boren, says the paper contributes to the hospital because of its widespread contributions.

“We support Children’s Hospital because of all it has done for this valley,” Boren said. “Most people I know have been touched by the work of this extraordinary hospital. The Bee partnership with the hospital and ABC 30 makes Kids Day work in a wonderful way. There are 4,000 volunteers who do the work on Kids Day- rain or shine.”

Out of the 4,000 volunteers who will come out this Tuesday, many of them are high school students.

“It’s great to have high school students involved,” Boren said. “They have done so much for our community through their services in all sorts of endeavors… and they are crucial to the success of Kids Day.”

This year, leadership adviser Rob Foshee will participate in selling papers with the leadership class at 5:30 a.m. He has personally connects with the hospital through past experiences.

“I’m excited about selling newspapers,” Foshee said. “My daughter had heart surgery there, and it’s a great place. Selling newspapers is a great way for us to go out in the community.”

In order to help the organization, Trevor York, ’12, looks forward to participating in the event, despite the early morning.

“I’m really excited because I’ve never done this before,” York said. “It’s going to be fun selling papers because I’m with my friends. I love to give back to the community, especially with this because we’re actually doing something compared to just giving money.”

For more information, read the March 6, 2009 article, Kids Day marshals Valley volunteers or check out Kids Day revenge or Kids Day enthusiasts.