For the City Times

The United Way of Portage County Volunteer Center will hold its annual Make a Difference Day Rake-a-thon on Saturday, Oct. 22, and is in need of more than 500 volunteers.

Members of the community will come together to rake yards for Portage County residents who need assistance due to physical barriers or cannot afford raking services.

“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 Bleu Heindl, United Way of Portage County Make A Difference Day Coordinator.

People can sign up today by registering your 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.

If you would like to register your yard to be raked by community volunteers, you can sign up by dialing 2-1-1 (Cellular customers dial 1-800-922-5590) on weekdays between 8 AM and 5 PM or by calling United Way of Portage County at (715) 341-6740. The first 150 yards will accepted. Registration ends Friday, Oct. 14.

For more information, email [email protected], call United Way of Portage County at 715-341-6740, or visit www.unitedwaypoco.org.