WARREN - The annual Make A Difference Day volunteer appreciation picnic will enable volunteers to fill up more than just their stomachs this Saturday.

This year's picnic at the Warren Community Amphitheatre at Perkins Park also will serve as a collection site for eight social service agencies, including:

n American Red Cross of Trumbull-Mercer Counties will hold a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.;

n The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 699 in Leavittsburg will collect aluminum can tabs for the Kidney Foundation, who will recycle them for cash;

n Susan and Friends will collect cards to encourage hospitalized veterans. The cards can be homemade or store-bought and will be taken to the Veterans Hospital in Brecksville;

n The Warren Corps of the Salvation Army will collect new, unwrapped toys for Christmas distribution;

n Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley will collect nonperishable food items;

n The Sojourn Bear Moms will collect polyester fiber fill that will be used to stuff teddy bears for distribution to young cancer patients;

n Time Bank Mahoning Watershed will recruit volunteers for future projects;

n Warren Family Mission will collect winter wear such as hats, scarves, mittens, boots, coats and gloves for men, women and children.

"The collections at the picnic are not intended to compete with other collection projects. The idea is to generate more excitement about the picnic and get more people down to the park," said Sue Shafer, community events coordinator for the Tribune Chronicle.

Members of Boy Scout Troop 50 will be available to unload items from cars, and signage will be posted directing motorists to the drop-off site.

Make A Difference Day, a national day of caring and volunteerism, is sponsored by USA Weekend Magazine and the Points of Light Foundation and is held the fourth Saturday of October each year. This year, the 19th annual Make A Difference Day is set for Saturday.

The Trumbull County event is sponsored by the Tribune Chronicle, and this will be the newspaper's seventh year of sponsorship.

Volunteers who complete projects on Saturday are encouraged to attend the picnic from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Warren Community Amphitheatre. There will be hot dogs, hamburgers and other picnic fare available, and a group photo will be taken around noon.

Shellie Bartoloni, a former Tribune Chronicle employee, is organizing the picnic. She said Tribune employees and their family members, as well as community members, volunteer to set up, serve food and clean up after the picnic. Local businesses are asked to donate food and other items.

So far, Bartoloni has secured donations of a gift card from Target, cans of baked beans from Institutional Foods, gallons of orange drink mix from McDonald's, coffee and filters from First Place Bank, hundreds of hot dogs from the Hot Dog Shoppe, cans of Mandarin oranges from Wendy's and a gift card from Howland Giant Eagle.

About 480 people were served at the picnic last year, and she is expecting a similar turnout this year, she said. Bartoloni said any businesses that would like to donate food, paper products, gift cards or cash to be used at the volunteer picnic should contact her at 330-544-3613.

All leftover food is donated to area soup kitchens and shelters, she said.

Also taking place at Perkins Park will be the Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention annual Run for the Ribbon Race. Entry fee is a nonperishable food item that will be donated to local charities. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with the race starting at 10 a.m.

mkosinski@tribtoday.com