Make a Difference Day (MADD) is an annual event where student organizations, athletic clubs, dorm halls or any students can participate in making a difference in Marquette Township. Students are sent to homes in the community that request assistance in raking leaves or other needed yard work.

For this year’s MADD, there were over 100 service sites in the community reaching out for help from the student volunteers.

Lani Moleski, a volunteer coordinator at Northern Michigan’s Volunteer Center, encourages students to reach out to the community and make a difference.

“It’s a lot of fun, and all of the community members are always so grateful for it,” Moleski said. “It’s very rewarding work.”

Students who participate in the event assist people as the weather changes and the first snow fall begins to approach. MADD is an event that bridges the gap between students and the people who live in Marquette. 

“It’s one of the events that Northern does that is remembered by the Marquette community,” Moleski said. 

Community member Shannon Peterson has been having students assist in doing yard work for over 13 years. 

“I saw an ad in the paper about students helping out. I called right away,” Peterson said. 

As students rake, their work leaves not only a mark on a yard, but also the hearts of community members.  

“The students have been a really big help, I even have neighbors drive by seeing them raking my lawn and ask about how they can get students too,” Peterson said. “I really appreciate the students coming to help out, I can’t do a lot of the yard work anymore and they come by and make it look nice.”