FRIENDS OF THE PARK HOLD ANNUAL CLEANUP SATURDAY

If you visited a city park lately you might have used the playground equipment, eaten lunch at a picnic table or just admired the trees and flowers.

And if you visited the parks and consider yourself a friend of the parks, you are invited to an annual cleanup day for the Cape Girardeau Parks Department on Saturday.

Volunteers will plant flowers, clean up playground equipment and in general spruce up the city's parks beginning at 8:30 a.m., with registration at Capaha Park.

Friends of the Park is marking its 15th year in the city.

Most of the work is just general maintenance sorts of jobs, said Brock Davis, park supervisor.

But without the nearly 300 volunteers who will be scattered throughout the city parks, much of the work just wouldn't get done as quickly, he said. "It helps take care of the little stuff."

Volunteers, who include Girl and Boy scout troops, families and church groups, will receive a free T-shirt and sack lunch for helping.

A majority of the work will take place at Capaha Park but other projects are planned at City Hall, Arena Park, the Jaycee Municipal Golf Course, Cherokee Park, Denis Scivally Park and Groves Park. There are 23 parks in the city, but the work doesn't reach every park.

Planting flower beds, mulching plant beds, sweeping out restrooms, picking up trash and painting picnic tables are on the agenda for the work day, Davis said.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and work will start at 9 a.m. Projects should end by noon.

To volunteer, contact Davis at 335-5421.