Plenty of projects will keep folks busy on Make a Difference Day

By Wally Rendon

Wednesday, October 15, 2003 11:58 PM CDT

RACINE - The Racine area will join the rest of the nation on Oct. 25 by participating in its ninth annual Make a Difference Day event.

The North Beach Playground is the main project that will attract thousands of volunteers according to project organizers.

But organizers of the volunteer day want people to know there are many other projects that will need volunteers.

For example, the Village of Elmwood Park needs people to help paint lamp posts and clean up certain areas. To help in this project, contact Dave Voss at (262) 886-9612 for more information.

Another group, Project New Life, has a motto "Team Up To Clean Up." Youths and adults team up to clean up neighborhoods by picking up debris, cleaning windows, mowing lawns and giving the area resident cleaning supplies to maintain the area clean. Jacato Drive is the area targeted for this project.

Other projects include: buckthorn removal along the Root River, tearing down a dilapidated garage and cleanup in several neighborhoods.

People can help in many ways said Marilynn Pelky, director for the Volunteer Center of Racine.

"People don't necessarily have to join any particular volunteer group to help," she said. There are a lot of people, especially elderly, that may need help putting on storm windows, cleaning windows, cutting the grass, caulking among a host of other chores that need to be done around the neighborhoods, Pelky said.

"This is about being a good neighbor. Lend a hand to your neighbor in your own neighborhood," she said.

People who are helping with the North Beach playground can also take part in Make A Difference Day. Volunteers on the playground are needed Oct. 20-26, which leaves Oct. 25 open for other projects.

Anyone wishing to participate in Make a Difference Day can contact Sustainable Racine at (262) 632-6440 or the Volunteer Center at (262) 886-9612. Or, if you would like make a monetary contribution you can do so by mailing our contribution to Sustainable Racine-Make A Difference Day, 413 Main St., Racine, WI. 53403.

You can also visit the Web site:

www.racinemakeadifferenceday.org for more information, see a list of projects and sign up to help.

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