Published in the February 3-16, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
Photo by Marty Cheek
Dog lovers and their dogs enjoy a day at the Morgan Hill Dog Park.
Morgan Hill is blessed with many neighborhood and community parks that welcome families looking for a play-day place or individuals seeking a little solitude. These outdoor destinations are important for enhancing the quality of life for our citizens and canine friends. That’s why we encourage residents to consider being active in the city of Morgan Hill’s Adopt-a-Park program.
This exciting community program started last year as a way for families, individuals, businesses and groups to help make the great parks throughout Morgan Hill even better. It creates opportunities for people and clubs to either get involved by volunteering their time or through sponsorships to support our city parks, trails and creeks.
The idea for the program came through a suggestion made at the Morgan Hill Parks and Recreation Commission as a way to invite local residents to organize residents to be active in maintaining the natural beauty in our city.
Volunteers can choose from a multitude of projects. These include raking leaves, cleaning playground structures, picking up litter and pulling weeds in parks and trails. The program also allows people to look for projects specific to individual parks, such as pruning roses in January at the Community and Cultural Center’s Rose Garden or repairing benches at Paradise Park. The program helps build group camaraderie among participants — and it’s a great way to make new friends.
The city of Morgan Hill’s Adopt-a-Park program also offers sponsorship opportunities for residents who might prefer to provide a donation than give time and physical work efforts. There are ways to financially support the beautification of your favorite park or make a dedication in honor or recognition of a loved one you want to honor or celebrate an achievement. There are many sponsorship options to choose from such as projects ranging in support from $1 (the Community Sponsor level) up to $10,000 or more (the Diamond Sponsor level). Some sponsorships allow a person’s name or a business or group logo to be displayed at the park as well as the name recognized on a plaque at City Hall.
Among monetary sponsorship opportunities is the dedication of a new bench, tree or other approved structure for a period of 10 years, which includes dedication plaques. Individuals might also wish to sponsor the dedication of an existing bench, tree or other approved and available structure for 10 years.
Donations support the maintenance, beautification and accessibility of the park. Projects may include maintaining or replacing playground equipment, planting and maintaining plants and/or trees, adding or replacing benches or irrigation systems, painting, and other maintenance projects as needed. The program also lets your community know you’re doing your part when you display a recognition plaque in your office or home.
The Adopt-a-Park Program is a fun way to get involved in Morgan Hill. Not only does this program provide a variety of options and customization according to the participants’ needs, it also invites people of all ages to participate in making Morgan Hill an exceptional place to live and spend their free time. Beautiful parks, trails and creeks lend themselves to more activities and more fun for families as well as a better aesthetic for visitors and events.
If you or your group or business would like to learn more about the Adopt-a-Park program in Morgan Hill, find additional information at www.helpmorganhillparks.com. For information regarding volunteer opportunities, please call (408) 776-7333. For information regarding sponsorships and dedications, please call (408) 310-4694.
Great parks make a great city. And you can help keep and maintain our great parks by getting involved in the Adopt-a-Park program.
