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Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006 Local volunteers work on area projects as part of a nationwide effortMAKING A DIFFERENCE
Volunteer day touts teamwork
By KARI COBHAM Early on a Saturday morning, some might expect college students to sleep in rather than rake through a century-old rubbish heap. But the brothers of Stetson University’s Alpha Chi chapter of the Delta Sigma Phi social fraternity were doing just that — and more — at Hontoon Island State Park for the 16th annual Make A Difference Day. "If they didn’t really care, we couldn’t get these guys out here on a Saturday morning," said fraternity president Jeff Wacksman with a rake in hand. "We work hard; we play hard." The event, sponsored by USA Weekend and the Points of Light Foundation, is the nation’s largest day of volunteering. The United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties, the local event organizer, paired the fraternity with park management. The group of 28 joined thousands of volunteers anticipated to work on some 60 projects in the two-county area.
In Daytona Beach, the Rose Marie Bryon Children’s Center celebrated its 58th anniversary by offering a regular activity — reading — as well as a variety of fun, such as games, clowns, candy, prizes, a moonwalk tent and face painting by volunteers. The day’s festivities show that the center still pursues its mission of giving children after-school instruction, said Justine Robotham, 49, who went through a program when she was a child. "We’re trying to let people know we’re trying to keep the dream alive," Robotham said. Antoine Williams, 15, who was setting up a children’s game, said he is struggling with his schoolwork and is glad tutoring is available at the center. "It helped me a lot," he said. Over at the Stewart-Marchman Center in Daytona Beach, Ken Russell of Ponce Inlet joined a group of volunteers painting the substance-abuse offices. "It’s good to have a structure where so many people can do this," said Russell, who was volunteering through the Volusia County Citizens Academy. "It’s the first year I’ve done this, and it’s very rewarding." Back in DeLand, the fraternity was participating in the event for the first time. Wacksman, 21, helped clear the thick pile of old bottles and other debris left by long ago residents near the Hontoon Dead River. Park specialist David Foster added in a bit of park history. "Two hours makes a difference for something that would take (park staff) months," said Wacksman, a junior. With 600 community service hours during the past two months, the fraternity is on its way to breaking its 2,000-hour goal by the end of the year, he said. "We decided it’d be a great opportunity to make a difference in the community," said Stetson sophomore Dave Glerum, community service chairman. Assistant Park Manager Mike Hayes was grateful for the extra hands assisting the 1,650-acre park’s four full-time employees.
"It’s helping us clear up a backlog of projects," he said. Near the park’s southwest corner, fraternity members were building a wooden bridge to divert the nature trail from a flood-prone area. It sat incomplete for months, Hayes said. "This has been a long time in the making," said Jay Mann IV, who works for park maintenance. "It’s a great help having their group out here today." Elsewhere, others were painting the ranger residence and pouring concrete to replace a 20-year-old wooden, rotting floor in the park workshop where tools and maintenance equipment are kept. "It’s been fun," said McLaren Stanley, 19, who broke up the floor with a sledgehammer and crowbar. "You get to break stuff." The two enjoyed working together and bonding with the rest of the group for a good cause. "When we get done here today, we’re going to be a whole lot better off than we were yesterday," Hayes said. — Staff Writers Derek Catron and Scott Wyland contributed to this report. |
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