Friends of Fulton Parks Announces Cleanup Schedule

The Friends of Fulton Parks is preparing to begin its annual springtime project, “Sparkle-A-Park.” Friends of Fulton Parks (FoFP) is a volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works in conjunction with the City Department of Parks and Recreation. When it created Sparkle-A-Park, five years ago, its goal was ambitious: clean up all Fulton parks after a long winter. Since then, school groups, scout troops, businesses, families and individuals have volunteered to help achieve that goal.

FoFP’s director, Kelley Weaver, shared the group’s 2020 Sparkle plan: “We are proposing to have all the parks in Fulton cleaned and ready to go by Memorial Day weekend. To kick off the cleanup, we’re starting with our annual Canal Sweep, on Saturday, April 18.”

“We’ll meet at Veteran’s Park, across from City Hall,” said Jim Farfaglia, a FoFP volunteer who is heading up the 2020 Sparkle-A-Park program. “We’ll clean the park and the walkway along the river between the two bridges. Cleanup begins at 10am and will continue until 1 pm. FoFP will provide garbage bags and gloves. Participants should dress for the outdoors, especially supportive footwear. If you have a rake, bring that as well.”

Farfaglia is also organizing the other park cleanups. “There are twelve parks and some of them, like Voorhees and Recreation, cover a large area, so we need plenty of volunteers,” Farfaglia said. “One cleanup day will be Saturday, May 2, designated statewide as ‘I Love My Park Day.’ Here in Fulton, groups or individuals can choose the park they want to volunteer for by contacting FoFP. Cleanup dates and locations will be posted on the FoFP website friendsoffultonparks.org for anyone who wants to help.”

Mark Woodworth, Supervisor of Fulton’s Parks and Rec Department, said “The park cleanups are a great help to us. Spring is a very busy time of year for our small staff when we are opening the marina, campgrounds, the parks, and hosting events in the War Memorial.”

Fulton’s mayor, Deana Michaels, added: “Our city is full of beautiful parks to enjoy many activities such as sports, picnics, musical events and playground fun. We are fortunate to have Friends of Fulton Parks assist our city’s recreation staff in preparing the parks for their many visitors. By volunteering a few short hours, our community can join the efforts to help keep our parks clean and safe for all to enjoy.” 

Those interested in scheduling a time to help can contact Farfaglia at sjimf903@gmail.com or fill out the following form: