For the City Times                                                                                                                                            

More than 500 volunteers are still needed for the United Way Volunteer Center of Portage County’s annual Make A Difference Day Rake-a-thon on Saturday, Oct. 24.

During the Rake-a-thon, members of the community will come together to rake yards for Portage County residents who need assistance due to physical or financial barriers.

“For many elderly or disabled residents who do not have family nearby to help out, the volunteer raking teams relieve their worries and make a significant difference in just a few short hours,” said Hanna Meronk, United Way of Portage County Make A Difference Day coordinator.

Meronk said people can sign up today by registering a volunteer team of two or more people at www.volunteersrock.org.  Simply create a team name, gather the names of the team participants and fill in the requested information.

She said people in need of raking assistance can register a yard to be raked by simply dialing 2-1-1 (Cellular customers dial 1-800-922-5590) or calling United Way of Portage County at 715-341-6740.

 More information is available by emailing [email protected], calling United Way of Portage County at 715-341-6740, or visiting www.unitedwaypoco.org.