Fires? Floods? Tornadoes? Injuries? What are you supposed to do? How do you prepare? 

ReadyFest will be held at Discovery Middle School on Saturday, February 22 from 9:00 AM to 1:00PM. There will be free popcorn and drinks for all who attend. For more information, visit madisonreadyfest.com.

If you are interested in volunteering, visit JustServe.org. There are various ways to be involved including their donation drive for the homeless. Ms. Tarter and Mrs. Schutzbach have boxes for NHS. All donations are due by February 21.

In emergencies, anyone might have questions for themselves and their family. In the simple words of Madison ReadyFest, “Life happens, you need a plan.” 

Madison ReadyFest is here to answer all of your questions and help all who need proper services and advice. What is ReadyFest and how did it start? When we asked Madison City Council member Maura Wrobleski about it, she replied, “ReadyFest is truly a gift to our community to educate all with regard to every type of disaster or situation that a family might face. It is held at Discovery to engage the entire community.” Mrs. Wrobleski informed that ReadyFest started three years ago at a church as a community event because “[they] saw the need to better communicate emergency preparedness at the local level with local government and organizational response.”

ReadyFest will cover numerous topics: Community Preparedness, Education Preparedness, Financial Preparedness, Health and Wellness Preparedness, Home and Family Preparedness, Natural Disaster Preparedness, Spiritual Preparedness, and Career Development. And these are only the most important ones! There are an estimated 27 topics, if not more, ranging all from CPR, to career tech programs, to genealogy! Local organizations like the Madison Police Department, Madison Fire and Rescue, HEMSI, SARTEC, and A New Leash on Life will be there to answer all your questions. These are just a few of the wonderful organizations volunteering to be a helping hand to our community. 

Mrs. Wrobleski said that the main goal of ReadyFest is to “raise community awareness of the organizations and services are available for the Madison community in their time of need.” She added, “I want the public to take away that Madison is a true community that cares about each of our residents and wants to be supportive in their time of need.” ReadyFest Chair, Rebecca Brown, also agreed with Mrs. Wrobleski’s statement as she further encouraged the city to attend because “ReadyFest is a fun, family-friendly event designed to bring the family together and identify areas for improvement and a great way to get involved, meet people, and serve our community.”

With spring coming around the corner bringing weekly storms and tornado season arriving early, ReadyFest is one way to be prepared for dangerous events and to get involved with your fellow community.