Thousands to take part in Prudential volunteer event

SCOTTSDALE - Kathy Yucevicius has to go to work today. She's giving up part of her weekend to put in some extra hours with her co-workers.

But she won't be driving to her Scottsdale office. Nor will she be stuck in meetings or sitting in front of a computer.

Yucevicius, 55, of Cave Creek and several of her co-workers will put the finishing touches on aviaries at the Wild at Heart bird rehabilitation center in Cave Creek.

She and more than 32,000 other Prudential employees, family members, friends and clients will be participating in the 14th annual Prudential Global Volunteer Day.

The company's employees have organized approximately 800 projects in 12 countries, and all are taking place Saturday.

Yucevicius organized the event at Wild at Heart because it's where she has volunteered for years.

"Wild at Heart is an all-volunteer organization that relies on donations only," Yucevicius said. "It benefits the entire state of Arizona because it rescues and rehabilitates birds throughout the state, mostly owls and hawks."

"Kathy was volunteering there before she worked here," Prudential spokesman Harold Banks said. "It's pretty impactful to show that she got her co-workers and neighbors involved."

Twenty-four of Yucevicius' co-workers and 17 of their family members will pitch in at the aviaries.

Another Prudential employee organized an event in Scottsdale involving beading to benefit the International Cancer Advocacy program. And in Phoenix, volunteers will focus on helping children with sickle-cell anemia.