City to Hold Sept. 11 Day of Service and Remembrance

In conjunction with the City of Richmond’s Neighbor-To-Neighbor Initiative and HandsOn Greater Richmond, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will hold a Day of Service and Remembrance on Sunday, September 11, 2011 in recognition of the 10^th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In addition, residents are asked to give back to the community by volunteering for various projects throughout the City.

        Volunteers can sign up in advance to help with a project at http://www.richmondgov.com/NeighbortoNeighbor/VolunteerLocally, as well as at the remembrance ceremony, which will be held at the Carillon at 9 a.m. All volunteers will receive a free commemorative t-shirt and are invited to attend the ceremony prior to assisting with their chosen volunteer projects. The projects will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.The general public is invited to attend the ceremony.

       “I encourage City residents to come together and serve their community through volunteerism in honor of the brave men and women who lost their lives on 9/11,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones.

        Volunteer projects include: a cleanup at Cannon Creek that will help with the development of a new greenway and bicycle and walking trail, a cleanup of graffiti on Belle Isle, and a cleanup of the Dogwood Dell theater at the Carillon. Sturdy shoes and long sleeve shirts and pants are required for the cleanup of Cannon Creek and Belle Isle. All volunteers should bring work gloves and be able to work in a rugged environment. The cleanup of the theatre would be an excellent project for anyone who enjoys theater and the Dogwood Dell. 

       There are a wide variety of other 9/11 volunteer projects from which to choose. For the entire list of volunteer opportunities, please visit http://www.richmondgov.com/NeighborToNeighbor/911ServiceWeek.aspx. All volunteers should bring their own water and snacks. For more information, please call the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities at 646-5733.

Day of Service Project Scheduled in Bryan Park

Please join the Friends of Bryan Park and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities in celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and the National Day of Service by volunteering for a Bryan Park environmental cleanup project. The work will take place on January 17 from 9:30 a.m. to noon in Bryan Park. This ’Day On, Not A Day Off’ project is endorsed by Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ Neighbor-to-Neighbor initiative, which encourages Richmond residents to get involved to help “Build a Better Richmond.”
Volunteers are needed to help cleanup the park’s floodplains and remove trash and debris from areas along the park’s creek beds and lake. This is an opportunity to give something back to the city, as well as to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and would be a great activity for individuals, service groups or teens.
All volunteers should wear heavy shoes or work boots, bring their own work gloves if possible, and meet at the park’s Shelter #1 at 9:30 a.m. to receive trash bags, assignments and instructions.
Bryan Park is located at 4308 Hermitage Road. The entrance to the park is just north of the I-95 entrance ramp. Park signs will provide directions to Shelter #1.
For more information and to register, call (804) 646-5454, visit http://www.richmondgov.com/ and click on the ‘Day On, Not A Day Off’ link, or e-mail Carla.Childs@RichmondGov.com.