Cook Park’s First Clean-Up of 2010 a Success
For Immediate Release
May 5, 2010
FLINT, MI - Resource Genesee joined with the Evergreen Block Watchers to help organize a massive clean-up effort at Cook Park. The neglected and deteriorating 18-acre park is on its way to getting a second life thanks to clean-up organizers who want to see the park turned once again into a community asset.
Once the site of family picnics, children playing, and a basketball court that was used by some of the greatest basketball players to come out of Flint, Cook Park is in need of a complete makeover. New play equipment, restoration of the basketball and tennis courts, new grills and picnic areas are all part of the long-term vision.
The park is located on Averill Avenue next to Perani Arena near Center and Lapeer Roads in Flint. Saturday’s clean-up was just a first step in the restoration. The City of Flint owns the park but budget restraints have limited the City’s ability to maintain the park, let alone replace aging play equipment or refurbish the basketball and tennis courts. City of Flint Parks & Recreation director Pat Gerace has provided technical guidance and participated in the day-long clean-up.
Organizers from the Evergreen Block Watch are committed to seeing renewal take place over the next several years and were pleased to see more than 150 people help with the initial clean-up on May 1.
“We were happy to have residents of Evergreen Valley, Evergreen Estates and Evergreen Park subdivisions working together. We were even more pleased that people who don’t live near Cook Park showed up to help us out,” said Solomon Anderson III, who lives in the Evergreen Valley neighborhood and is a member of Evergreen Block Watchers.
Youngsters from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Flint, fraternity members from Kettering University, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Work Detail, area residents, friends and supporters all pitched in. Local business donated food, drinks and supplies.
“This is exactly the kind of community-wide effort Resource Genesee wants to encourage and support. People want to volunteer. You just have to show them where the need is,” said Julia Zaher, Resource Genesee’s director of volunteer services.
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To volunteer for future clean-up dates, contact Solomon Anderson, (810) 743-4661 or Everett Cole, (586)707-3081, everettcole427@aol.com or Julia Zaher at Resource Genesee (810)232-6285, Julia@resourcegenesee.org.
For photographs of the May 1 Cook Park Clean-Up go to Resource Genesee’s Flickr page, http://www.flickr.com/photos/resourcegenesee. Photos may be published with attribution.