Roll up your sleeves and get ready: Central and Riverside Parks need your help. On Saturday, both parks will be holding service days where volunteers can help clean up.
More than 550 trees were damaged or destroyed in Central Park in Hurricane Sandy; the photo above shows a line of trees and limbs in the park at 102nd Street that stretched for nearly two avenue blocks. (Volunteers won’t likely be doing major work on Sandy reconstruction.)
To volunteer in Central Park, you should get to Duke Ellington Circle (110th Street and Fifth Avenue) by 10 a.m. The activities last until noon, and are for families:
“Central Park needs helping hands each fall! Gather your loved ones and pitch in together to help preserve and beautify Central Park. Tools and gloves will be provided. Bring water to drink and wear closed-toe shoes. Ages 4+.
Each participant will need to sign a liability waiver and photography consent before participating; children under 18 years old need to attend with a legal guardian who can sign on their behalf. Families only; no groups please. Free. For more information, call 212-360-2751.”
Riverside Park, which also sustained significant damage from the hurricane (see pictures in this gallery) will be holding volunteering events at various locations on Saturday, although you have to contact someone to find out where:
“Join Riverside Park Fund staff, volunteers, and community members to help clean up Riverside Park. All are welcome!
Attire: Dress comfortably, must wear closed toe shoes. Note that there will not be a location to store valuables.
Rain Provisions: Rain or Shine
For specific location information or to register please contact Nya Jackson, Volunteer Program Assistant, at nya@riversideparkfund.org or (212) 870-3070.”
I am confused by the Central Park one. It says: The activities…are for families” and “Families only; no groups please.” That sounds more like an Easter Egg Hunt than a volunteer effort, which is perfectly fine, just a bit unclear to me what they want.
The Riverside Park one sounds much clearer: “help clean up Riverside Park. All are welcome!”