Make a Difference Day activities set for April 25-26
April 10, 2014
With the weather warming up, students and community members are looking for any excuse to get some fresh air and catch a few rays. An upcoming event will provide a chance to enjoy spring, and make a difference in not one, but two communities.
On Friday, April 25, from 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., more than 200 students from UW-Whitewater will partner with volunteers from Janesville to tackle several major projects in that city during Make a Difference Day, including:
- cleaning up a portion the Ice Age Trail in Janesville
- cleaning and raking terraces in the Fourth Ward and Look West neighborhoods
- making improvements to the Dawson Softball Complex
- cleaning up downtown Janesville
Organizers say they are enthusiastic about this joint effort, the first of its kind between Janesville and UW-Whitewater.
"It's a wonderful opportunity to take on projects that may not be accomplished otherwise," said Rebecca Smith, Make a Difference Day coordinator for the City of Janesville. "I also hope this event gives students an opportunity to see more of Janesville and the community as whole."
"I'm hoping we can continue the collaboration in the future," said Katelyn Wurtz, a UW-Whitewater student coordinator for Make a Difference Day. "I can't wait to see where these volunteer efforts will take us years from now."
On Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., volunteers will be in Whitewater participating in events to clean up the city, including mulching, downtown Whitewater clean up, bike path cleanup and painting the Armory and storm sewers.
Since 2005, UW-Whitewater has been coordinating Make a Difference Day events. In those seven days of service, 4,200 volunteers have given over 12,800 hours of service.
To participate, students can log into my.uww.edu using their net ID/password. Go to Event Registration and sign up.