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Issue Date: December 2, 2007
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Make A Difference DayYOU HELPED!More than 3 million people reached out to others on USA WEEKEND's annual day of volunteering.By Patricia KimeFor the 17th time, volunteers nationwide rallied into action on Make A Difference Day. Thousands of efforts carried out by 3 million people improved communities and changed lives on Oct. 27. In Washington, D.C., more than 400 volunteers from USA WEEKEND, Points of Light & Hands On Network, the District of Columbia Public Library, the Corporation for National and Community Service, Serve DC and First Book rolled up their sleeves at the historic Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. Volunteers cataloged outdated books to make room for new editions. They also boxed used books for recycling or sale and gave new books to neighborhood children. "Every year, Serve DC organizes hundreds of residents to volunteer for Make A Difference Day," said Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty, who visited with volunteers. "Not only is it a great way to spend time with family, friends and neighbors, it's a lot of fun!" First Book advisory boards in 78 other cities were also busy distributing 200,000 books to disadvantaged kids. Across the Mid-Atlantic region, Wegmans, Whole Foods and ShopRite supermarkets raised awareness of celiac disease by distributing brochures. Dietitians were also on hand at 25 of Wegmans' 71 stores. Coast to coast, volunteers braved rainy weather, the aftermath of wildfires, floods and cooling temperatures to lend a hand. In Great Britain, where Make A Difference Day is now a phenomenon, tens of thousands of volunteers mobilized to help others. Back in the USA, inspirational speaker Tim Richardson kicked off his "World's Biggest Blog Party" with a 24-hour event at Capitol Coffee in Maryville, Tenn. Richardson's goal was to motivate 1,000 bloggers to raise $1 million by the end of the year for charity through a website: theworldsbiggestblogparty.com. Two contestants in the 2008 Miss America Pageant also were among the millions who volunteered on Make A Difference Day. Miss Iowa Diana Reed held a fundraising tailgate party at the University of Iowa-Michigan State football game in Iowa City. She twirled a flaming baton and sold bratwurst during breaks. All proceeds went to the Children's Miracle Network. In St. Paul, Miss Minnesota Jennifer Ann Hudspeth helped kids pick out coats at the Salvation Army store. In Ohio, the Lima News spearheaded "Make A Difference Week" to raise funds for last summer's flood victims in Putnam County and to recognize the volunteers who helped. Many of the 75,000 members of AmeriCorps, the national service program, were out in force, too. Among them: Sherry Gullicksen, who, along with 300 volunteers and 35 local businesses, renovated a home for a family facing a medical emergency in Alexandria, Ohio. In New York, J.T. Robertson, 11, and his buddy Josh Tsujimoto, 7, collected 29,921 cans for deposit along with enough donations to take 422 passengers -- mostly disadvantaged or disabled kids -- on a 90-minute ride on the historic Arcade & Attica railway. "I do this because it shows other kids how much they can do," says Robertson, a 2007 National Honoree who used his award to create a grant program to encourage children's volunteer efforts. |
Make A Difference Day, the largest national day of helping others, is sponsored by USA WEEKEND Magazine and its 600 carrier newspapers. Make A Difference Day is held in partnership with HandsOn Network and is supported by Newman's Own, which provides $10,000 donations to charities selected by of each of 10 national honorees. The 19th Make A Difference Day is Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009.
Make A Difference Day Hot Line: 1-800-416-3824
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