Residents will come together across the state on Sunday to support the California Community Colleges system in a Hands Across America event. For 10 minutes at 2 p.m., thousands of people will join hands to show the impact of an affordable education.

Local meeting points include the Cabrillo Pavilion Arts Center, Alameda Park (at Santa Barbara and Sola streets), SBCC (at Cliff Drive) and Skater’s Point (Cabrillo Boulevard).

At SBCC, Assemblyman Das Williams, county Supervisor Salud Carbajal, Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider and school board members Monique Limon and Kate Parker plan to stand united with students.

There will also be events Sunday afternoon at the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival in Alameda Park.

The event will raise money for the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment, and contributions can be made by texting HANDS to 27722 for a $10 donation.

The Bernard Osher Foundation will donate a 50 percent match to all contributions, working toward the goal of fundraising $100 million in scholarships.

Last year, the 112 state community colleges served 2.76 million students, nearly 90 percent of whom are in need of financial aid.

— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or @NoozhawkNews.