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Hurricane Wilma

Wilma's threat postpones day of volunteer projects

National Volunteers Make a Difference Day for Largo and Dunedin will come later, as will a Clearwater event, thanks to uncertainties.

By JILL ANN PERRINO
Published October 22, 2005

LARGO - The volunteers were ready. The assignments all planned. But the threat of bad weather turned a day of good deeds into deeds undone.

In honor of National Volunteers Make a Difference Day, the cities of Largo and Dunedin had planned to bring crews of volunteers together today to perform more than 190 projects for the needy. Today would have been the fourth year the two cities had banded together for a mutual Day of Good Deeds.

The city of Clearwater had planned its own Make a Difference Day, with a group of volunteers cleaning up trash and pulling up air potato plants at N.E. Coachman Park.

All of the events had to be postponed because of the threat of Hurricane Wilma.

But the good deeds will not go entirely undone. Dunedin plans to hold its event next Saturday. Largo has rescheduled its day for February 11. And Clearwater has put the park clean-up on a future to-do list.

With a core group of volunteers, as well as groups looking to do onetime projects, Karen Maldonado, volunteer coordinator with the parks and recreation department in Clearwater, said that the city plans such projects "once a month or so."

"We won't forget about it," she said of the park clean-up. "We'll get it next time."

Maldonado was concerned with more than just today's weather. Debris that would have been collected today would not be picked up until early next week. If bad weather hits Sunday, she said, the debris would be blown all over the park or become high-speed projectiles.

"We don't want to create more issues," she said.

In Dunedin, where 80 percent of the good deeds were outdoor projects, the postponement was necessary.

Jan Sebald, coordinator of volunteers said the new date is set for next Saturday, even though the city is also hosting a Halloween event later that day. She said church, Rotary, ROTC and community volunteers are eager to accomplish what they'd planned.

"Everyone is still in motion," she said.

Largo was not so fortunate. Unable to schedule a date right away, the city chose Feb. 11 for its revamped event.

Tom Fladd, recreation program coordinator, said the postponement could be a blessing in disguise. He has been contacted by other organizations that want to be included in the event, and hopes Largo's winter residents can participate then. He also wants to add families of members of the armed forces to the list of those to be helped.

"I am excited about the February event," he said. "It will be even bigger and better."

[Last modified October 22, 2005, 01:13:18]