Fullerton : Civic Groups to Clean Up Trash in City’s Adopt-a-Park Program

A different kind of maintenance crew will be cleaning some city parks beginning March 1.

Eleven organizations have signed up for the city’s new “Adopt-a-Park” program to remove trash at 11 city parks from April through July.

They include the Girl Scouts, members of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, the Fullerton Police Explorers, staff of the YMCA child care center, the Fullerton Pony Colt Baseball League, the West Fullerton Little League, the Kiwanis Club of Fullerton and members of the Cal State Fullerton Sigma Gamma Chi service club.

Some of the adopted parks are Laguna Lake Park, Orangethorpe Park and Amerige Park. The largest adopted park is the 20-acre Gillman Park.

At the end of July, the city will contribute $500 to each organization that participated. The groups then will be evaluated and may be renewed for another four-month contract, said Ron Hagen, community services director.

The idea was approved by the council last fall, and applications were sent to a number of city groups. The council reviewed the applications and awarded contracts to 11 of the candidates last week.

The idea proved so popular that the city may expand the program to include as many as 30 parks in the next four-month period, Hagan said.

The volunteer labor will allow city maintenance crews to do heavier maintenance work, he said.

“With both city and civic groups working together, the overall appearance (of the adopted parks) should improve significantly,” Hagan said.