If leaves still cover your lawn, be prepared to get a knock on the door from volunteers looking to rake them up for charity.

Now through Nov. 15, teams of volunteers will pick up leaves to raise money for the Cayuga County Habitat for Humanity during its second annual leaf raking competition and fundraiser.

“Our goal is to raise as much money as we can,” said Jennifer Banas, the president of the Cayuga County Habitat for Humanity Chapter. This is the second year that Habitat has had this event in Cayuga County, and people have already been calling to set up a time to have a team visit their home.

For each bag of leaves that volunteers pick up, Habitat asks for a $2 or $3 donation, said Wendy Brinkerhoff, a member of the board and fundraising committee for the Cayuga County Habitat for Humanity Chapter.

“Our teams set up their own places and times for raking, but people also call to make appointments for one of the teams to come to their houses,” Brinkerhoff said. “Sometimes we do a door to door blitz.”

The teams are formed from different non profit organizations that are competing to win a share of the profits that the fundraiser makes. The top raising team will receive 30 percent of the proceeds with the second and third place teams receiving 10 percent each.

The other half of the proceeds go into the Cayuga County Habitat for Humanity's general fund. That money finances the building or rehabilitation of a home for a future homeowner in the area, Banas explained.

Last year's event raised $581 over a four-hour period on Oct. 20.

This year's event began Oct. 11 and will give volunteers a month to rake the most leaves.

“Since they did so well in one day last year, it made sense to expand it and have more volunteers with more time to rake leaves,” said Sarah Bisignano, who is helping to organize a team from Auburn High School's National Honor Society.

The students have already made signs to be posted on telephone poles in the areas where they are going to be going out to rake. The next scheduled raking is Sunday, Nov. 2, around Hoopes Park, Bisgnano said.

“The plan is to rake as much as you can as fast as you can,” said Allen Barry, the honor society treasurer.

The group wanted to help people in the community, especially elderly people, who may have a hard time getting out and raking their own leaves, Barry added.

Ten students volunteered to help with the program and will be looking for three or four more opportunities to go into the community after Nov. 2, said Kevin Anderson, the group's secretary.

“We're going door-to-door and stopping by houses if they need us,” Anderson said. “If we see a house that is really leafy, we'll go there and ask if they want our help.”

At the end of the month, the awards for the most leaves raked will be given during a closing ceremony from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Cayuga County Habitat for Humanity office in SS. Peter and John Church on Genesee Street.