Dozens of volunteers infuse GR parks with color and care

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

Several Grand Rapids parks are bursting with color and new playground equipment thanks to the care of dozens of volunteers. City budget cuts and other influences prompted corporations, schools, church groups, and individuals to plant flowers, pound nails, and offer all manner of talents in unheralded service for the enjoyment of city residents and visitors.

“There’s a number of groups out there, and it’s fairly typical,” says Tom Zelinski, parks superintendent. “We have a fairly consistent group of people that’s come to us over the years and that’s helped us out tremendously.”

Last year, Sam Cummings of Second Story Properties learned that the Parks and Recreation Department needed help maintaining the city’s parks because of budget cuts.

“Collectively we’ve worked very hard at building our city back up,” Cummings says. “We’ve worked too hard and long to go backwards. So I called and asked how we could help.”

This is the second year Second Story Properties, the Downtown Alliance, and the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum are maintaining Veteran’s Park. In May, they planted 672 annuals. Once a month, Second Story Properties weeds and picks up trash. Each group takes a turn at watering.

Elsewhere around town, other volunteers are also hard at work. The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War maintain Monument Park; Garfield Park Neighborhood Association spread safety surfaces under playground equipment at Garfield Park; Alticor employees constructed Camelot Park’s playground equipment; De Vries Companies plants and maintains the boulevard median on North Monroe; and Joyce Reed created and maintains a perennial garden at Highland Park.

Source: Tom Zelinski, City of Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation; Sam Cummings, Second Story Properties

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth. She can be contacted at [email protected].