COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Volunteers in the Village Seven neighborhood in eastern Colorado Springs spent Memorial Day upgrading one of the community's playgrounds, spreading mulch, hammering nails and meeting neighbors along the way.
The work took place at Card Park, one of five playgrounds maintained by the neighborhood's homeowners association, not the city.
Rachel Dill, one of the organizers, said the effort was about more than just landscaping.
"The neighborhood is really trying to green up and spruce up the playgrounds," said Dill. "We have five of them."
Dill said much of the equipment dates back decades.
"...A lot of the equipment is original to when the neighborhood was founded in the 70s," said Dill.
Longtime resident Mike Wenger said the goal is preserving the parks for future generations.
"Trying to keep these parks nice and fixed up for the next generation of young kids to use," said Wenger.
Wenger has deep roots in the neighborhood.
"Back when I moved here in '72, this was the easternmost part of town," said Wenger. "Powers (Boulevard) was a dirt road."
First-time homebuyer Garon Kirschbaum, who is newer to the area, also pitched in.
"I'm pretty new here, I moved in about a year and a half ago," said Kirschbaum. "Just want to see the neighborhood taken care of."
Even the youngest volunteers made their mark. Sophia Dill, Rachel's daughter, described her contributions to the project.
"I was scooping mulch and moving it closer to the playground," said Sophia Dill. "I also hammered some nails in."
Rachel Dill said hiring a landscaper to do the same work would have cost four times what the neighborhood spent by doing it themselves. She added the event gave neighbors a chance to connect.
"Today (Monday), I met a family I hadn't met before," said Rachel Dill.
Dill said Monday was the first mulching day of the summer, suggesting more could follow. She added that additional upgrades to the neighborhood's parks are also on the way.
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