UW-W joins Janesville for a greener Earth

By Abrielle Backhaus

By Signe Trewyn

Make a Difference Day is back for its ninth year, but this year UW-Whitewater will collaborate with Janesville for a greener community.

Make a Difference Day began in 2005 a with a group of small projects. But all that changed when Whitewater decided to collaborate with the university in order to help out the entire town.

Event staff member Katelyn Wurtz said she hopes students step out of their comfort zone and help the Janesville community for a greater good.

“My favorite part of the event is seeing all the projects being worked on in town and the idea of helping out the community while knowing how much the people who are being served appreciate it,” Wurtz said.

Wurtz said approximately 600 students participate in Make a Difference Day every year, but attendance dropped this year.

On average, the roadside clean-up attracts the most volunteers because people who sign up know exactly what they are helping with.

Wurtz said she hopes students will be willing to help out with projects they may not normally do.

“A team of five people typically does the majority of the work for the project,” Wurtz said.

Students can participate in 16 different projects this year, ranging from pulling weeds and mulching to litter clean-up and campus beautification.

Some specific projects include: cleaning up a portion of the Ice Age and bike trails, improvements to the softball complex, along with flower bed restoration, leaf raking and trash pick-up.

Rebecca Smith, general coordinator for Make a Difference Day in the city of Janesville, said  one goal of Make a Difference Day is to allow UW-Whitewater students the opportunity to see Janesville and

to have city members interact with UW-W students.

“It is a great chance for UW-W students to help out in the community and for Janesville to embrace new projects,” Smith said.

Make a Difference Day is April 25, in Janesville and April 26, 2014.