Crozet Park Hosts Second Annual “Pitch-in @ the Park” April 25

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By Kim Guenther
President, Claudius Crozet Park Board

Volunteers at Crozet Park
Volunteers at Crozet Park

Crozet Park will host its annual Pitch-in @ the Park event Saturday, April 25 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. The event, which brings together volunteers and businesses from throughout the community, will allow the park to complete many of its current maintenance projects, which would otherwise be deferred due to lack of manpower and funding. Fifteen projects are scheduled for completion.

With a potential turnout of upwards of 100 volunteers, the Pitch-in event is an opportunity to engage local residents and businesses to work side-by-side to help maintain the park, a community-owned and operated park since 1957.

Because of the success of its first iteration, the Pitch-in @ the Park event has brought offers of in-kind assistance from local companies. This year, the arborist firm Arboristry Associates is bringing 13 staff members and donating approximately $7,000 of much-needed tree work throughout the park. Eric Fowler, Master Arborist with Arboristry, approached the park earlier this year to discuss a tree-trimming project on the upper baseball field. But after several visits, Arboristry Associates decided to increase the scope of work significantly. They plan to remove many diseased and dangerous trees on the south end of the pavilions, trim many of the existing trees around the baseball fields and festival grounds and provide several educational workshops throughout the day. The trees removed will be cut up into 18- to 36-inch lengths and made available to the public for firewood (pick-up is Sunday, April 26). Arboristry will also plant a few new trees donated by the Waynesboro Nursery in celebration of Earth Week and Arbor Day and offer several tree-related workshops throughout the day.

The park will also receive product support from Yancey Mills Lumber, which will provide several tons of free mulch, and Blue Ridge Builders Supply, which will discount pricing.

Other projects for the day include painting, landscaping, carpentry, and general cleanup activities.

Of course the day wouldn’t be complete without a marquee project. These are those unique but grueling projects that require volunteer courage and fortitude to tackle! Last year, that project was painting nearly a half-mile of fencing around the soccer field in April. In September teams painted a similar run of fence along Park Road as part of the United Way Day of Caring. This year’s marquee project will be just as challenging: removing almost three tons of sand from the pool filters and replacing it with three tons of new, clean sand. This one project will take all day with 12 hardy volunteers who can shovel (and shovel, and shovel).

Please join us. Lunch is provided to all who sign-up to volunteer at: www.crozetpark.org/volunteering.

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