A Brookfield Tradition Kicks Off Our 14th Year

Ahhhhh, Fall. The best time to be a New Englander. Blistering blue-sky days and crisp apple nights. The deepening and gold-plating of the earth’s tones. The undercurrent smell of clove and cider. The crunch of leaves under our feet. Yes, fall in Brookfield is a special time that can only mean one thing: time for the annual Rake & Bake!

Rake & Bake is the brainchild of our own Peter Brady, founder of the Handy Dandy Handyman Ministries (HDHM). It began in 1998 with 10 volunteers raking 2 yards.  It has since become an annual Brookfield tradition. Last year, we had 1150+ rakers working on 78 yards. We expect these numbers to grow again this year. Rake & Bake has truly become a community event that draws people of all ages from all over the town, state and country.

Obviously, a volunteer effort of this magnitude doesn’t just happen. Since I am lucky enough to play a role in it, I thought it would be fun to talk about the mechanics behind Rake & Bake and the people who make it possible. Until 2007, Peter handled it all. But as the volunteer numbers crept ever closer to 1,000, Peter decided to recruit some additional help. In 2008, the Rake & Bake team was born.

Though Peter remains the Grand Poobah of the event, the power behind the throne is Chairman, Rob Bonn. Rob is the man who keeps everyone on task, handles team assignments, manages all communication and preserves our sanity in the hectic final weeks.  Rob and Peter visit each client’s property and make notes about size, proximity to busy roads, parking and disposal requirements. That information is loaded onto a spreadsheet managed by uber computer guru, Mark Broadmeyer. Mark is also responsible for the HDHM website and online registration used by volunteers.

Simultaneously, food and publicity activities are taking place. Publicity is handled by Dave Russell (Go Steelers!), who gets posters placed around town and arranges TV and newspaper advertising. The all important “bake” aspect of the event is managed by Bob Elston and Randy Convertito. As we speak, they are contacting local businesses to arrange donations and discounts to feed the hungry masses. Last year, we had 1,000 hot dogs donated and that number is likely to increase for 2011. This year, we would also welcome donations of a dessert item by any volunteer who wishes to contribute. We ran out of many food items last year and we want to make sure no one goes away hungry.

When people register to rake, they will receive a confirmation email from yours truly. All of the registration information is loaded onto the same spreadsheet referenced above. We keep track of how many people are raking in each group, any equipment volunteers will bring, the ages of rakers, and any special comments or questions. Now that we have compiled some history, we try to assign teams to the same property year over year unless otherwise instructed or circumstances change. We also work hard to accommodate special requests.

Two weeks before the event, registration is closed and team assignments are made. Large groups are assigned first since they can present a special challenge. It is not unusual to have groups comprised of 50 or more rakers, with some very close to 100 participants. Because no single property is large enough to accommodate so many people, we try to assign large teams to properties in the same general area.  Some of our largest groups come from outside Brookfield, and car pooling requires the split teams be close together. The overriding concern is always safety, so groups with small children are also assigned early to make sure they are on properties that are not close to busy roads or exceptionally steep embankments.

Once the large groups are completed, smaller family groups are assigned. Some properties, such as those in Danbury, require leaves to be bagged for town pickup. Others require leaves to be tarped to a location at the rear of the property or across a road. Many of the larger properties require a significant amount of equipment to clear and others can be managed with just rakes and handheld leaf blowers. Some locations have very limited parking available. Groups are assigned with all of these factors in mind. The goal is always to have enough people and equipment to get the job done in a reasonable amount of time, but not so much that rakers are finished too quickly without feeling as though they’ve worked hard.

After all assignments are made, Team Captains will receive a letter instructing them to contact their client and visit the property to familiarize themselves with all requirements. If a Team Captain was not designated at registration, one is selected at random. A teenager is typically chosen to afford him or her an opportunity to take a leadership role. In addition to the site visit, Team Captains are responsible for distributing name tags and directions to the assigned property. In return, they get to wear the coveted HDHM Team Captain hat.

Once completed, the final roster is sent back to Mark Broadmeyer, who uses it to create the name tags distributed at the BHS gym on the morning of the event. Teams gather in the gym, which will have been set up the night before, to receive a blessing and disperse to their assigned location. If the weather fails to cooperate, teams will agree to a convenient future time to meet at their property and complete the cleanup. Because there is food involved, the Rake & Bake is held rain or shine and rakers are asked to come even if the weather is bad — in which case I guess it becomes the Bake & Rake since we will eat first and rake at some later time.

After teams have dispersed to their assigned locations, there is an all-hands-on-deck effort to convert the gym to serve food. Volunteers who are unable to rake due to physical limitations or allergies pitch in to set up tables, lay out food, and prepare for the flood of hungry rakers returning from their jobs. It is truly a party atmosphere when more than a thousand people get together after performing such a rewarding community service!

No discussion of Rake & Bake would be complete without a shout-out to the real unsung hero of the event, Carol Ann Brady. Peter thinks the team comes back each year because we love our jobs. The truth is we keep returning for Carol Ann’s yummy treats!

This year’s Rake & Bake is scheduled for Saturday, November 12. Registration will begin on Thursday, September 15. To register, visit http://hdhm.org and follow the instructions. While you are there, take a few minutes to view videos of Rake & Bake receiving national recognition as a model for organizing volunteer-based community service activities. Last year, NBC Nightly News featured our Rake & Bake on their Making A Difference segment, which is pretty awesome.

If you know of someone local who would be a good candidate for the free raking service, you can send the information to Peter by going to the “Contact Us” link on the website. Registration will remain open until Monday, October 24. We encourage people to sign up early, even if you do not have all of the participant names. Additional volunteers can be added at any time.

Whether you are a first-time volunteer or have been participating since the beginning, you will find this to be a memorable day of fun, food and family. Everyone leaves feeling good about the community service performed and the sense of community attained. Rake & Bake gives us one more opportunity to demonstrate how the spirit of volunteerism is alive and well in Brookfield.