COLORADO SPRINGS — With the extended weekend to honor a civil rights icon, many in southern Colorado are setting some hours aside to give back to the community.
"This weekend, they talk about it, it's not just a day off- it's a "day on" a day on of service I think it's what Dr. King would want and I think that's what makes this holiday a little different than other holidays," said Tom Howes, Founder of Guardians of Palmer Park, an organization dedicated to keeping Palmer Park clean and safe.
Howes' organization meets monthly, but during January they meet more than once to honor Dr. King and spend some extra time cleaning up the park in Northeast Colorado Springs.
This year, the group paired up with 'The Mission Continues'- an organization made up of veterans dedicated to volunteering after their time in the military. Both groups spent time either cleaning up trails or working on fire mitigation efforts for the park.
Fire mitigation is a big need for the organization.
"That's a great fear in the park, one loose match and this whole park could be gone," said Howes.
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