IU Health Partners with Parks to Give Building and Trades Park a Spring Spruce Up

[image:14608,right]FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2013

For more information contact
Mick Renneisen, Administrator, City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, (812) 349-3711 or [renneism@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:renneism@bloomington.in.gov]

Bloomington, IN - [Building and Trades Park,|272] tucked away at the corner of Second and Rogers Streets, sees its share of visitors. Rugby and football games take place in the wide, grassy field, and there is plenty of action for a pick-up basketball game on the courts along the park's western boundary. Two playgrounds under massive shade trees along quiet West Howe Street are popular with the younger crowd, while two picnic shelters are the perfect sites for family gatherings.

The park is also located just across the street from IU Health, and that was just one of the reasons that IU Health Bloomington chose Building and Trades Park as their focus for today's Day of Service.

According to IU Health spokesperson Amanda Roach, IU Health employees across Indiana celebrate a Day of Service annually. IU Health this year chose to spend their day working to build and improve parks and trails across the state to help fight obesity.

"Making parks great places to be is one step toward bringing people to the parks for exercise and play," Roach said. "We're happy to work with Parks and Recreation on this community project."

Bloomington Parks and Recreation's special services coordinator Kim Ecenbarger said 60 IU Health Bloomington employees started work at 8:30 this morning on a laundry list of park improvement projects. An additional 50 or 60 IU Health volunteers will be at the park for an afternoon shift.

Projects at Building and Trades include everything from planting and mulching trees to preparing the concrete wall along the basketball court for a new mural. IU Health Bloomington, in addition to committing its people to spend the day at the park, also contributed $5,000 toward park improvement projects. The Parks and Recreation Department used the funds to purchase six new basketball goals for the basketball courts at Building and Trades Park, and for new benches to be installed around the courts.

A DJ added to the day's festive atmosphere with music that energized all the volunteer workers, and initiated an impromptu flash mob-style dance in the middle of the park.

"Everyone is having so much fun while they're doing good," Ecenbarger said. "It's great to see IU Health so excited about the impact they're making in the community."

Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department Administrator Mick Renneisen said, "We greatly appreciate the effort of the hundred-plus volunteers from IU Health Bloomington today at Building and Trades Park. The tasks they have accomplished in one day would have taken staff the equivalent of three months to finish. IU Health Bloomington continues to be a great community partner of the Parks and Recreation Department."

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