Local woman's community service could be featured in national ad campaign

A Shueyville woman's story of getting Linn County youths involved in community service could be told nationally by the Mutual of Omaha over the next few months.

Patti Seda, 44, of Shueyville, is one of 25 finalists in the insurance company's newest “aha moment” advertising campaign, which will try to highlight those moments in life where a single experience or idea suddenly illuminates everything else around them.

Seda's aha-moment came when she realized that the need to give back to the community was something that had to be learned from an early age. Seda began a volunteering camp for Cedar Rapids youths back in the summer of 2008.

“All of us have what we have out of luck,” Seda said. “It's our responsibility as human beings to help out and try to save people who haven't had that luck.”

People can watch and then vote on their favorite “Aha” moments until midnight, Saturday, Oct. 31, on the “Aha” moment website at

http://www.ahamoment.com. The ten stories with the most votes will be featured on the national ad campaign.