AMES, Iowa – VEISHEA or not. Rain or shine. The spring volunteer day at the Iowa 4-H Center will be Saturday, April 12 regardless of event conflicts and weather, and volunteers are encouraged to come for part of the day if they can’t make it for all. Breakfast will be served at 9 a.m., a hot lunch will be provided at noon, and the day will conclude at 3 p.m.

Projects for the day will focus on sprucing up the facilities and grounds, which includes raking dead leaves away from cabins, splitting campfire logs, chipping branches, cleaning cabins, trimming trails and staining projects.

Camp manager John Roosa also lists three potential projects. The Boone County Safety and Education in Shooting Sports Committee plans to begin preparations for building a new shooting shelter April 5, with hopes of finishing it on the volunteer day. He also has a rustic log cabin that needs completion as well as the re-roofing of Oak Lodge.

“So much of what gets done is weather dependant, and spring can be pretty tricky weather-wise,” Roosa said. “If we get a good supply of people and the weather cooperates, we will try to do that job (the new roof).”

The camp welcomes all ages and groups to participate in the volunteer day, which in the past has had 4-H alumni, families with young children, 4-Her’s and 4-H clubs come out. Interested 4-H clubs also can stay Friday or Saturday for a discounted price in Birch or Hickory Villages, an option that has often been used in the past for a mini-retreat.

After hosting a successful fall Make A Difference Day on October 6, 2007, with over 100 youth and adult volunteers, the camp hopes the momentum will continue.

“Typically we have more people in the spring than the fall, but we didn’t realize that our date conflicted with VEISHEA (a well-known, annual event at Iowa State University),” said Traci Haselhuhn, program specialist. “However, this is a great chance for everyone to get out, become more familiar with the camp and help us get it ready for campers.”

All interested volunteers can call the camp office at (515) 795-3338 to sign up themselves or their group for the day. If interested in other volunteering opportunities, contact Roosa at jroosa@iastate.edu to set up a date and project.

The Iowa 4-H Center is a joint project of the Iowa 4-H Foundation and Iowa State University Extension 4-H Youth Development.

-30-