Breathing New Life into a Worn Park

More than 70 CSX employees joined 2000 City Year Corps Members and Bostonians in City Year Boston's 19th Annual Serve-a-thon.

More than 1,500 volunteers came from City Year locations around the country.

City Year planned the day of service as one part of its Annual Convention. More than 1,500 volunteers came from City Year locations around the country for a weekend that included a speech by former President Bill Clinton, team building and a day of service in neighborhoods throughout Boston.

The day kicked-off at Northeastern University with breakfast with CSX executive vice president and chief commercial officer Clarence Gooden, who also spoke at the morning rally attended by local news media and thousands of volunteers. Sponsoring 10 City Year teams, CSX was publically acknowledged as being the largest sponsor of City Year in the nation.

The CSX team joined hundreds of other volunteers to serve in Allston-Brighton, completely transforming McKinney Playground by the end of the day. CSX employees, their family members and even friends braved the hot day to enjoy a day of camaraderie and service that included:

• Landscaping two large baseball fields
• Landscaping and clearing brush along the baseball fields
• Removing graffiti and painting walls, railing and a baseball backstop
• Painting new scoreboards and league signage

Bob Sullivan of CSX spent his day painting the backstop behind one of the baseball diamonds. Having a daughter who participated in City Year six years ago, Bob has both a personal and professional connection to the organization.

"I know City Year both as someone who works for a corporate sponsor and as a City Year parent," Bob said. "It doesn't just make a difference in the community; it makes a difference in the volunteers."