The landscape at Flint, Michigan’s Sarvis Park recently changed for the better to include a brand new playscape, thanks to the work of Keep Genesee County Beautiful, its loyal volunteers, and many community organizations.

The instinctive joy of children running, smiling, laughing and playing – has come back to Sarvis Park. Parents are quite familiar with hearing “five more minutes please” while they are trying to pack up to head home. Not only are playgrounds fun, but they provide a positive place for kids to build friendships, exercise and just be kids.

Keep Genesee County Beautiful (KGCB) Adopt a Park Program and the Sarvis Park Adopters, Reviving Our City’s Communities, Lowe’s Heroes volunteers of Burton, Michigan, and volunteers from Central Michigan University gathered to lead the installation of the new playground and park restoration on Sept. 29-30. The more than 300 volunteers participated in what was the largest park cleanup/playground build KGCB has ever conducted.

The brand new playground features new swings, a giant playscape and lots of climbing surfaces ready for the young explorers to make their way through the twists and turns of the platforms and down the four slides. In addition, volunteers also filled up four, 40-yard dumpsters with downed trees and branches, put over 300 yard waste bags to the curb, and brush-hogged the forested area of the 11.5-acre park for the first time in years.

Jermaine Turner of the Sarvis Park Adopters met with KGCB Executive Director Karen West to develop a five-year plan to keep the park sparkling and potentially expand what it currently offers.

“The Sarvis Park Adopters have plans for a walking trail through the park and maybe even a pavilion and picnic tables,” said West. “They have been planning for this day for years. Today is just the first big step.”

The Sarvis Park playground is possible thanks to a Keep America Beautiful/Lowe’s Community Partners Grant, as well as grants from the Ruth Mott Foundation and the  Community Foundation of Greater Flint.