Volunteers clear yard of weeds and debris

Volunteers clear yard of weeds and debris

An eager group of community volunteers showed up the morning of Nov. 3 to help clear the backyard of a longtime Scripps Ranch resident as she continues her journey to overcome and recover from cancer.

Volunteers of all ages pitched in during phase I of a plan to rebuild the area which had become overgrown and untenable.

Sandra Dougherty, owner of the property and mother of two sons, is in her second bout with breast cancer. She also lost her husband to cancer. Through all these challenges, the backyard of her home fell into disrepair and she no longer had the energy or the means to fix the situation.

But longtime friend Maria Mikus is heading an effort to rebuild the yard in two phases to make it a place for Dougherty and her sons to thrive.

Sunday’s effort brought out a sizeable crew, including Scripps Ranch High School boys basketball coach Brian Keiser and coach Brock Flint, along with some of their players.

The volunteers did such a thorough job of clearing the area, and it made such a difference, that Dougherty’s two sons were able to enjoy playing soccer together in the backyard for two hours that same afternoon – something they had not been able to do for a very long time.

This was just the beginning of this effort. Any monetary donations can be made to the GoFundMe page: bit.ly/2OPm3KX. To volunteer or donate plants or materials, contact Maria Mikus at mariamikus@yahoo.com.