Los Angeles, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/20/2016 --Over 400 cities have declared November 1, 2016, Extra Mile Day - a day to acknowledge the individuals and organizations that are dedicated to "go the extra mile" in service and volunteerism in order to create positive change in their local communities.

In connection with Extra Mile America, mayors in all 50 states have embraced the "go the extra mile" movement. The vision of motivational author and change maker Shawn Anderson, "Extra Mile Day" was created in 2009 with 23 inaugural cities. In 2015 the declaration grew to 551 participating cities, and on November 1, 2016, the number is expected to climb to 575.

"Extra Mile Day is an awesome reminder that each of us has the power to create positive change the moment we decide to do something in an area in which we care," shares Anderson, the motivational author of Extra Mile America: Stories of Inspiration, Possibility and Purpose. "It could be volunteering at the local animal shelter, mowing your neighbor's lawn, or simply telling the grocery clerk 'thank you for your service.' Going the extra mile can happen in a thousand different ways, and it is in doing that little bit more where change happens."

First-term Mayor Derek Easterling from Kennesaw, Georgia, lives the Extra Mile Day mission. As a decorated Naval Officer, former County Sheriff, current co-President of the Awtrey Middle School PTSA, and a person dedicated to helping special needs children, Easterling shares, "A friend of mine tells everyone he meets, 'If you want something different, you have to do something different.' Change often requires you to go the extra mile to achieve a successful outcome and is created only through involvement and commitment to a purpose."

Extra Mile Day Founder Anderson concludes, "Extra Mile Day is more than one day in the year to recognize 'go the extra mile' heroes; it is a reminder that the moment that we individually choose to 'go the extra mile' and give more of ourselves is the exact moment where our world starts to change for the positive."