United Way: Make a Difference Day Extended, Need More Volunteers
For the City-Times
Due to a record number of yards needing raking, the United Way of Portage County Volunteer Center’s 15th annual Make A Difference Day Rake-A-Thon will continue until all yards are raked.
Volunteer Center Director Kayla Rombalski said more than 800 volunteers raked 160 yards throughout Portage County during the Rake-A-Thon on Saturday, Oct. 25, but 16 yards remain that need raking.
“We are so appreciative to each and every volunteer who came to rake on Saturday,” said Rombalski. “We’re asking the community to rally together one more time to help us complete the yards that were missed.”
She said volunteers are need to rake three yards in Almond, one in Custer, two in Rosholt, one in the town of Dewey, one in Plover, and eight in Stevens Point. The yards vary in size, including three jumbo yards requiring larger groups of volunteers.
People interested in volunteering during the extended Rake-A-Thon should contact Rombalski at 715-341-6740 or [email protected]. Raking can be done at the volunteer’s convenience – daytime, evening, or weekend.
The Rake-A-Thon is designed to connect teams of volunteers with elderly or disabled residents in Portage County to rake and prepare residents’ yards for winter. Many of the residents who sign up for the service have had medical concerns or surgeries, and are physically unable to stand for long periods of time, let alone rake their own yards.