Salt Lake's Day of Caring scheduled Thursday

The United Way of Salt Lake's 15th annual Day of Caring to benefit thousands of Utah schoolchildren is scheduled Thursday at The Gateway.

The public service project, which will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., pairs corporations and their employees with nonprofit organizations and schools that need volunteers.

"For the first time, Day of Caring will feature a community service project that is open to the general public," said Deborah S. Bayle, president and CEO of United Way of Salt Lake.

Efforts this year are to benefit the Sealants for Smiles Foundation, headed by Dental Select, which visits poor schools in the area to provide oral health education, dental screening and sealant placement on second- and sixth-grade children.

Last year, the Sealants for Smiles program visited 33 schools in Salt Lake County. This year, 66 schools in Salt Lake, Davis, Tooele and Summit counties are scheduled for dental hygiene visits.

More than 2,800 volunteers from 97 local companies are expected Thursday.