MEDIA ADVISORY
October 23, 2002

CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119

DRAKE STUDENTS TO PAINT HOUSES ON 'MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY'

Approximately 200 Drake University students will paint houses, rake leaves and collect litter on national "Make a Difference Day" on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Half of the students will work at the home of Rosetta Mills, an 80-year-old widow who lives at 1128 27th Street, just a block south of the Drake campus. From 8 a.m. to noon, the students will rake and mow the lawn, repair the porch and paint the exterior of the 2.5-story house.

"The house is badly in need of work and Mrs. Mills doesn't have the resources to do it," said Larry Molenburg, Drake's real estate manager and coordinator of the effort. "She and her late husband, Thomas, have been active volunteers in the Drake Neighborhood Association. We picked her house because she's very deserving of the help that our students can provide."

The other 100 students will work from 8 a.m. to noon in the Mondamin Presidential Neighborhood, which is located between 16th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and Hickman Road and Clark Street. They will rake leaves, clean up vacant lots and paint the home of Iona Freeman, a blind woman who lives at 1931 Allison St. Volunteers from Americorps also will be helping with the work in that neighborhood.

"It will be neat for our Drake students to help make a difference in this neighborhood, which is one of the poorest neighborhoods we have in the city," said Dolph Pulliam, coordinator of the project and director of community outreach and development at Drake. "We were looking for individuals who were disabled or elderly who had no other means of support to get this work done. We chose Iona Freeman because she's blind. To me, she's the neediest of the needy. To paint her home, mow her grass and rake her yard is going to make that house look just beautiful."

After completing their volunteer work, the Drake students will gather for a picnic at 12:30 p.m. on the west side of the Drake Knapp Center, 26th Street and Forest Avenue. Food and supplies for the day's activities are being donated by painting contractor Ken Agee, Coca Cola, Drake Area Business Association, Drake University, Kum & Go, McDonald's, Sodexho Campus Services and Sodexho Facility Services.

Last year was the first time Drake students have participated in "Make a Difference Day." Approximately 90 students helped paint a house on 26th Street. "We're very happy to have more than twice as many volunteers this year," said Traci Sturtz, Drake's student volunteer coordinator for the day. "Students who participated last year had a good time and they spread the word."

Student groups volunteering this year include several sororities and fraternities, the International Students Association, Student Senate and Honors Student Council.