Annual Rake-a-thon piles up community gratitude

Volunteers helped to clear leaves from yards in the annual Rake-a-thon. Photo courtesy Photopin

By Erisha Menon

Around 46 Waldorf students, faculty members and staff signed up to volunteer in the annual Rake-a-thon Sunday, Nov. 1 that was held at four different locations. This event took place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Each fall Waldorf College holds a service-driven Rake-a-thon for Waldorf students and faculty members. One of the goals is to build community relationship with those who need a hand.

The annual Rake-a-thon provides an opportunity for students, faculty members and anyone who wants to volunteer to give back to the community, especially to those people who need an extra hand before the snow flies. It is at no cost to the recipients.

Violet Albertson, one of the homeowners, said that she used to rake the leaves all by herself for almost 10 years while her husband was sick. It usually takes her around two weeks to complete the task. When the school decided to help her, it offered her a huge relief because it only took a couple hours for the students to rake the leaves. At the end of the day, they had around 30 bags of leaves collected.

“It was actually fun because you get to do it with your friends and at the same time it is a form of community service,” said Saheed Olaosebikan, one of the volunteers who participated.

Everyone from the Women’s wrestling team volunteered to take part in the Rake-a-thon. It’s incredible exercise and there’s instant gratification in the fact that it makes an immediate difference. The volunteers thought this was a great opportunity to give a little something back to the community.