The Platteville Public Library hosted the 2019 Community Involvement Fair to encourage involvement with the various organizations around town. About 30 groups were in attendance, and they included community service groups, local social organizations and numerous volunteer opportunities.  Some of the groups in attendance were the Platteville Elks Lodge, the Grant County Rural Stewardship, Platteville Chorale, the Rountree Gallery, the Platteville Community Theater, the Grant County Master Gardeners Volunteers, the Platteville Area Senior Services and the Platteville Community Center.

“It is so cool to see all of the different organizations gathered together here.  It’s really interesting to see which groups are interacting with each other.  We like this fair because there are so many groups that Platteville has to offer that just don’t get enough exposure,” organizer Karina Zidon said. 

The following is an in-depth look at just a few of these groups:

The Platteville Elks Lodge, founded in 1950, works to inculcate the principles of charity, justice, brotherly love and fidelity, a recognition in the belief of God and promotion of the welfare and happiness of its members. Members strive to quicken the spirit of American patriotism, cultivate good fellowship, perpetuate themselves as a fraternal organization and serve the people and communities through benevolent programs.  

The Grant County Rural Stewardship, founded in 2018, is working to protect the natural resources and beauty of Grant County through both community outreach and promotion of sustainable practices to ensure quality water and healthy land for diverse populations. 

Rountree Gallery was started by a University of Wisconsin-Platteville student as a final project in 1979.  The Gallery is dedicated to actively promoting the creation, appreciation and education of visual arts in our community and surrounding area. We strive to make art accessible to the public by hosting quality exhibits, acquiring and preserving our permanent collection and arts resource library and offering educational opportunities to all ages.  

The Platteville Community Theatre was founded in 1980. Its main goal is to provide an outlet for creative community involvement while seeking to produce quality entertainment. Robert Schlicher, who had moved to Platteville from Beaver Dam, suggested that Platteville develop community theatre group to utilize the stage at the Platteville Municipal Building. The company started with just ten members, and over the years, the PCT has performed comedies, tragedies and farces. They have experimented with original compositions, children’s shows, free summer skits, musicals and much more. Platteville Community Theatre, while it was invited to join forces with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Pioneer Players twice, is open to anyone with a passion for theatre. 

The Grant County Master Gardeners Volunteers, founded in 2001, seeks to provide horticultural education, promote environmental stewardship and volunteer time throughout Grant County. They award two horticulture scholarships to UW-Platteville students every year, and they encourage people of all ages to join. All educational programs are free and open to the public, and they are always open to new volunteers. 

Platteville Area Senior Services, founded in 2017, provides support for senior citizens in the Platteville area.  It is open to any young volunteers.

The Platteville Community Center is an up-and-coming group that has been talking about creating a community center for years. They hope that 2019 will be the year that their dream finally becomes a reality. The goal is to create a community space for all ages and demographics, and it will be a social hub, open and welcome to all Platteville members and neighboring communities. The Center will begin with early release school activities in collaboration with the Senior Center here in Platteville. 

These organizations are always looking for new members and volunteers.  The Platteville area is not lacking in interesting service opportunities.  All of the organizations above can be found and/or contacted via the information below:

Platteville Elks Lodge; https://www.elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?lodgenumber=1460

Grant County Rural Stewardship; www.facebook.com/grantcountyruralstewardship/

Rountree Gallery; rountreegallery.org or facebook.com/RountreeGallery/

Platteville Community Theatre; [email protected]

Grant County Master Gardener Program; https//www.facebook.com/grantcountymastergardeners or http://grant.uwex.edu

Platteville Community Center; [email protected]