Volunteers work so others can safely play, enjoy Westbrook Park and Kids World Playground

Mount Olive Friends of the Parks President Tony Martin has been volunteering in the town’s parks for almost 25 years. Saturday, March 2, will be one of the days he will always remember.

It was a damp, cool morning, but that did not keep some 125 volunteers from showing up to help clean up, spread mulch and make repairs at Kids World Playground and Westbrook Park.

“I love and appreciate seeing all of these volunteers — volunteers from age 4 to 74 working so hard in our parks,” Martin said. “The Friends always say that we do what we do for the children, and man they are doing it today.

“It’s a blessing to be able to stand here today, look around and say that on Saturday, March 2, at Westbrook Park, diversity and unity showed up. We are all one group, one people, working with one goal in mind, and that’s the safety of the children and the well being of our parks.”

Founded in 2000, Friends of the Parks (FOTP) help maintain Nelson Street and Westbrook parks.

The day, Martin said, reminded him of October 1999 when community volunteers built the Kids World Playground.

“It is awesome for us to stand here today, on this old tennis court, and look around at all these people — people of all ages, from more than a dozen different organizations, businesses and groups working like this,” Martin said.

“Looking around today I see a lot of faces from 24 years ago; some of these faces who are here today were just children in 1999. Today, as adults, they are with their children, many who are representing three generations of park-goers.”

Along with the workday, Friends of the Parks promoted and set up a roadside tent on Westbrook Street where people could drive by to make donations to the nonprofit’s George Fulghum Train Depot expansion project. The depot houses the FOTP Pickle Train.

Martin was raking leaves beside Westbrook Street when an SUV pulled up with grandparents in the front and their grandchildren in the back.

“The grandparents told me they love our parks and that they appreciate all the FOTP does for our community,” Martin said. “The grandmother hands me a check and said, ‘We love all of you very much.’

“Then shortly following that I was standing there day-dreaming about the desserts the Piggly Wiggly donated to the workday when a pickup truck pulled up beside me with a driver who is a local farmer inside who I know well. He reached out his hand and handed me some money and said, ‘I want to help.’ That is two examples of what has made it possible for the Friends of the Parks to do what it has been doing for almost 25 years.”

Martin and Mount Olive Parks and Recreation Department Director Josh Phillips thanked the FOTP’s board of directors, committee leaders, members and volunteers for all of their hard work.

“We are 125 people strong today, working together to make our parks safe and clean for everyone who uses them,” Phillips said.

FOTP treasurer Amberley Davis, added, “What a great day for the Town of Mount Olive.”

Davis praised Phillips and Martin and the FOTP for putting in a lot of good work over the weeks prior to the workday. As the interest began to pick up on social media it was obvious that it was going to be a big day, with lots of people coming, she added.

“Josh and the ladies on the Friends board told Tony that we would have to have plenty of tools, supplies as well as food and beverages for a lot of people,” Davis said. “The board said, ‘We’ve got to feed these volunteers’ and they did.”

The FOTP purchased and paid for everything for the workday through donations from community businesses and individuals as well as funds raised from the Pickle Train, Martin said.

With some of these funds, FOTP purchased two tractor-trailer loads of mulch from Parker Bark in Rose Hill that discounted the mulch since FOTP is a nonprofit, Martin said.

Kelly’s Trucking Co. of Mount Olive and Mitchell Farms Trucking Co. of Dudley helped the FOTP get 180 cubic yards of mulch from Rose Hill to town for free. Both companies donated their trucks and drivers’ time to help get the mulch to the park.

“That was a big savings for the Friends and the town of Mount Olive,” Phillips said.

Standing near a mountain of mulch, Phillips thanked the men who donated tractors and operators to move it: Danny Strickland with Strickland and Mitchell Family Properties; Jordan Williams with Williams Landscaping; Mike Dismore with After Hours Rotary; Nelson Powell with Powell Land Management; Ryan Roberts with R&R Brewing; and Tony Martin with Beautancus Tree Farm.

Davis said that the Friends had planned to take a group over to Nelson Street Park.

“However, after talking with Josh and Tony, we decided that with so much going on here at Westbrook Park that we feel like with the teamwork and great momentum that we have here today that we don’t need to break that up, so we’ve decided to plan for a separate workday at Nelson Street Park.”

FOTP already has purchased extra mulch for Nelson Street Park that will need to be moved over to Nelson Street before the new workday is scheduled, she added.

That decision is expected when FOTP meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 21, at Mount Olive American Legion Post 103 on North Chestnut St.

Martin said FOTP members were excited to have building contractor Knowlt Sutton with Pure Renovations of Mount Olive at the workday.

Sutton volunteered his time over the last couple of weeks and the workday to ensure that all structural repairs were done correctly, Martin said.

“Knowlt met with us about 10 days ago and again two days ago to do a walk through in preparation for the repairs on our workday,” Martin said. “Knowlt worked with Danny Strickland with Mount Olive Builders and Ryan Roberts with Robert Machine Shop to make sure we had all the materials and supplies we needed to get all the repairs done.”

Sutton uncovered a structural concern that is a major support system for Kids World, Martin said.

“We instructed Knowlt that this most be taken care of immediately,” Martin said. “With that said, here comes Jordan Hansen, assistant fire chief, Police Chief Jason Hughes, Jeremy Lee with Reduction Boss Machinery of Mount Olive and Ben Highsmith with the town of Mount Olive with heavy lift jack systems, chains, grinders and everything needed to repair the Kids World structure.

“It’s awesome to see that kind of muscle and equipment come together so fast.”

Some of the repair work continued into this past next week.

Groups volunteering for the workday were: Kelly’s Trucking Co. of Mount Olive; Mitchell Farms Trucking Co. of Dudley; Girl Scout Troop 389 of Mount Olive; Boy Scout Troop 42 of Calypso; Boy Scout Troop 200 of Mount Olive; After Hours Satellite Rotary; Mount Olive American Legion Post 103; Carver High School Alumni and Friends Association; Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce; Mount Olive Exchange Club; Mount Olive Parks and Recreation; North Duplin Senior High School Beta Club organized by Baker Sumner; UMO Campus Ministries with Matt Sharp; and UMO First Year Experiences Class with Amanda Raynor.

Food and services were donated by: American Legion Post 103; Bethel Church of Goldsboro; Food Lion of Mount Olive; Make A Difference Food Pantry of Mount Olive: Mount Olive First Pentecostal Holiness Church; Mt. Olive Pickle Co.; and Piggly Wiggly of Mount Olive.

Martin, Phillips and Davis said they encourage all Tribune readers and followers and those who participated in the workday today to attend the Thursday, March 21session.

For more information, or to make a donation to the depot project, contact Phillips at 919-658-9538.

Also, donations can be made by mailing a check to the Friends of the Parks at P.O. Box 953 Mount Olive, N.C., 28365.

Any concerns regarding the parks need to be reported to the Mount Olive Parks and Recreation Department, Davis said.