TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR

A community leaf raking event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. Often known locally as “Make A Difference Day,” and held in conjunction with National Make A Difference Day 2022, the Merrill area will celebrate their 27th annual Make A Difference Day by coming together to rake leaves for residents in our community who could use a little help, perhaps due to age or physical limitations. Historically, Merrill volunteers have raked many yards and seen the firsthand impact of their kindness spread throughout the community.
National Make A Difference Day is a day set aside to recognize the powerful impact of individuals to make a difference in the lives of others–their friends, their neighbors, their community, their world–by doing something kind for someone else, with no expectation of receiving something in return. It is also a day set aside for this purpose so that individuals can come together in groups and as communities to work collectively to perform acts of help or kindness and to see how much more powerful the impact is when many people participate.
“Helping others is one of the most meaningful and fulfilling activities in which we can become involved,” said Linda Becker, one of the organizers of this year’s Make A Difference Day community leaf raking event. “In fact, it has been shown that youth are more likely to grow up healthy when they value helping others.”
“It is also true that youth are more likely to grow up healthy when they have caring relationships with adults,” she said. “Participating in the community’s 27th annual Make A Difference Day, where youth and adults work together to better the lives of those that need a helping hand, is a great way to help build developmental assets with Merrill youth.”
Sponsored by Merrill Forward Together Healthy Community Initiative (MFTHCI) and the Optimists, Make A Difference Day community leaf raking will be held Saturday, Oct. 22, with check-in from 8:30-8:45 a.m. at Prairie River Middle School. Raking projects will take place from 9:00 a.m. until noon, and a lunch for volunteers will be held afterward at the school. Advance registration is not necessary for individuals. Just show up with a rake and check in that day. “Groups, organizations, and businesses are encouraged to put a team together and call or email to register in advance,” Becker said.
Letters were recently sent to residents who had their yards raked in the past, with an enclosed postcard to return. However, if you had your yard raked in past years and did not receive one, and you would like your yard raked this year–or if you NEED help raking your yard this year and did not previously receive help–call Linda Becker no later than Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 715.218.1806 or email her at: [email protected].
Working together, we can make a difference.