When Taylor Kingsley was looking for a location for his Eagle Scout project, he decided Clement Park would be a good fit, with its need for fresh paint on some picnic tables and benches.
Jane Savage started volunteering to work in a xeriscape garden at Columbine Sports Park a couple of years ago. One Saturday per month — along with other volunteers from the Columbine neighborhood — she guides a group of children through some minor upkeep.
Both Savage and Kingsley are examples of Foothills Park and Recreation District’s Pride in Our Parks program, which highlights different types of volunteering opportunities in the district’s 41 park sites in south Jefferson County.
“We have a lot of people coming to us year round who want to help in some regard,” park planner Sean Kitners said. “This is a way to capture their efforts.”
Park volunteers can participate in a variety of activities, ranging from one-day playground builds and church events to being members of the Adopt-a-Park and Trail program, an ongoing venture in which neighbors care for a local park over the course of a year.
The Pride in Our Parks program was started in 2012 to create opportunities for people to volunteer and give a boost to .
“We wanted to make an umbrella program so everything could be under the same program,” said Brenda Nix, Foothills Park and Recreation park operations and planning coordinator.
The district has 21 full-time park staff — with between 31-33 seasonal workers — to monitor, repair and do upkeep in the parks. Four of those full-time employees are stationed at and seven go between Easton and Schaefer parks, the district’s two other regional parks. The other 10 rotate among the remaining parks.
Kitners estimated that district volunteers put in about 2,500 hours in 2014 and a little more than 1,800 in 2013. He said many of the beautification efforts and playground buildouts would not have been possible without the help of the volunteers.
“It’s a way of covering stuff our staff can’t get to, and it helps us overcome some financial struggles,” he said.
On March 27, Kingsley, 17, came out with some friends and fellow Scouts to sand and repaint 27 benches and picnic tables on the east side of Clement Park. The Lakewood High School junior said he regularly uses the park with his friends to hang out and play lacrosse.
He thought fixing up the benches would be a good project since the paint is flaking off on most of them.
Foothills parks are common spots for Eagle Scout projects, and Kingsley said everything came together easily.
“Foothills is a really popular place to do projects because (staff is) so easy to work with,” he said.
Just a few miles away, Savage came out of her home — which backs on Columbine Sports Park, 7850 S. Kendall Blvd. — and, along with fellow volunteer Michaelle Otto, led about five kids through a small cleanup of the xeriscape garden next to a playground at the park. Savage said the kids are really invested in the park and speak up when something is broken or needs improvement. The Columbine Hills Civic Association has also adopted the park.
Savage added: “There’s a whole community effort here — people just enjoy it.”
Joe Vaccarelli: 303-954-2396, jvaccarelli@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joe_vacc
Volunteer
To volunteer in Foothills Park and Recreation District parks, call 303-409-2300 or go to .
