KANE — The Kane Area Redevelopment Enterprise has scheduled its seventh annual KARE for Kane event for 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 12, and organizers are looking for volunteers and project ideas to support more than 400 participants.
Melanie Clabaugh, Brandy Schimp and Katie Johnson, members of the Kane Area Redevelopment Enterprise board, said that participation in the event has steadily grown over the past several years from approximately 250 the first year to more than 400 in 2016. They are shooting to go beyond that number this year.
“This event is all locally funded by businesses and to my knowledge there is nothing else like it in the county,” Clabaugh said. “We’ve modeled the event after the United Way’s Day of Caring program and it has been more and more successful every year.”
Schimp said KARE has been fortunate to receive the funds it has from local businesses and the level of volunteerism has been steadily increasing.
“It’s a great thing,” he said. “We do get some support from the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful program in the form of trash bags and vests, but the majority is all local funding.”
Clabaugh, Schimp and Johnson went on to describe a few of the projects that were being considered, including revamping the Steve Jerman memorial and park trail system, street cleanup and an extensive parks cleanup list to be provided by the Kane Borough Parks Commission xhaircan, Ned Karger, who alone provided K.A.R.E with enough projects last year to keep everyone busy.
As far as projects go, “If someone has an idea for a project in the Kane area, we’d like to know what it is,” Johnson said. “They need to be specific and outline what they are looking for and we’ll do all we can to try and make it happen.”
The group went on to add that when volunteers sign up, they are encouraged to list out any specific projects they’d like to take part in and what specific skills they have that could be used. Once all projects are established, K.A.R.E will review participants and try to align stated skills and individual preferences to the projects and contact volunteers to communicate their assignment about a week before the event. This will help things move more efficiently on the day of the event.
When asked about a project that stood out in the past, Clabaugh, Schimp and Johnson shared that during the Steve Jerman memorial park cleanup last year, many area youth who were participating didn’t get to know who Officer Steve Jerman was.
Project participant Jim Hillman gathered the group together during a break and told the group about Jerman — the late borough police officer was shot to death after a traffic stop in 1999 — and what he did for the community.
“When I was growing up, he was always in the school doing things like D.A.R.E, but as time goes on the younger generation doesn’t know who he was and what he did for the community,” Schimp said. “What Jim did by telling the group about him really made that project connect with people.”
KARE also encourages elderly or disabled individuals to submit project ideas for the event, citing they would receive special consideration. The goal will be to accomplish as much as possible and support those within the community that may not be able to do certain things on their own.
Organizers said much of the support for the effort comes from local businesses in the form of funding and participants. Some businesses even let employees off or out early to support the event or use the event for team building. The Kane Area School District has also been a big support allowing students to participate in multiple areas of the event from projects to administrative duties.
Signups this year are electronic and can support group signups of up to 20 people. To sign up, visit KARE’s Facebook page, click on events and select the 7th Annual KARE for Kane Event.
For more information or to sign up outside of Facebook, contact the Kane Area Chamber of Commerce at 837-6565.
Those who register before April 21 will receive a free T-shirt, and all participants will receive a free lunch provided by the Kane Rotary Club noon to 2 p.m.
