Rake the Lake is on Saturday, Sept. 26: Learn about the history of the event and co-founder Jeannie Pizzonia

What started as a husband and wife taking their routine stroll around Lake Whetstone more than 20 years ago has transformed into a signature volunteer event that takes place several times a year here in Montgomery Village: Rake the Lake.

Jeannie Pizzonia and her husband, Joe, started out by picking up trash on their daily walks, and neighbors began noticing and asked to join the efforts. Eventually a group of about 9 were consistently cleaning up the walking path, wooded areas and shoreline of Lake Whetstone. Then more people in the community began noticing, and wanted to get involved too.

That initial group of committed volunteers adopted the name Friends of Whetstone Lake (F.O.W.L.) and began raising awareness about the importance of preserving the lake and wildlife. F.O.W.L. was created with the goal of bringing environmentally conscious volunteers, of all ages, residents and non-residents to volunteer in the Montgomery Village community. Rake the Lake, co-founded by Jeannie and Joe, was just one of the many service projects created by the group, and it has been embraced by the Montgomery Village community over the years.

Pizzonia, a retired science teacher, values projects like these – cleaning up the lake, paths and parks – and feels they are important experiences that can have an impact on children and teens. That’s why early on, she made the conscious effort to expand the pool of participants to students at local schools and partner with Scout Troops.

She mentioned previously making certificates for students that were presented to them by their principals at school assemblies following their participation at a Rake the Lake event. Seeing the smiling faces of the students receiving their certificates always brought joy to Pizzonia.

She enjoys seeing young people learn how to use trash pickers and having a sense of pride in their work following a cleanup event. Like a true teacher at heart, she cherishes the opportunities during the Rake the Lake events when she can teach the students about wildlife. For example, pointing out blue herons and talking about the different birds found at and around Lake Whetstone.

Pizzonia carries on the legacy of her late husband, who played a huge role in what has become a long-standing tradition of caring for and preserving the natural beauty of this community and getting people involved. As the years went by, Pizzonia looked to further expand the event and approached Montgomery Village Foundation (MVF) about working together to continue the important mission. MVF provides support for the event, in terms of staffing, materials, logistics and promotion. It’s been a long-term partnership between F.O.W.L. and MVF, and Pizzonia expresses her gratitude to the Foundation for helping maintain Rake the Lake events a staple of this community.

If you are interested in participating in the next Rake the Lake, join Montgomery Village Foundation and F.O.W.L. on Saturday, September 26 from 9 to 11 a.m.

This lake cleanup will take place rain or shine and is open to people of all ages. Students seeking Student Service Learning (SSL) hours are encouraged to participate.

Attendees should wear clothing they do not mind getting dirty and wet: long-sleeved shirts, long pants and boots are recommended.

Gloves, bags and trash pickers will be provided. The meeting spot is the Whetstone Lake Boat Dock. Volunteers will be cleaning the walking path, shoreline, area around the boat house and the lake.

Please note: A parent or guardian must complete a waiver and remain on-site with participating students under age 18 throughout the event.

Joe Pizzonia pictured above with original F.O.W.L. members.

Students from Watkins Mill High School and members of F.O.W.L. pictured above.

Simon Maxwell and Jeannie Pizzonia pictured above.