Midland, MI - April 24, 2009
The Dow Chemical Company and the nonprofit organization Friends of Hoyt Park announced today that they will join forces for the Hoyt Park Renovation Project, May 13-15, 2009, in downtown Saginaw. The project will take place in conjunction with Keep Saginaw Beautiful’s local clean up efforts.
“We are pleased to assist Friends of Hoyt Park in their quest to restore and preserve the park for future generations,” said Dave Kepler, Dow executive vice president and chief sustainability officer. “This effort is a great opportunity for Dow to bring to life its 2015 Sustainability Goal of Contributing to Community Success.”
During a three-day period, Dow volunteers will repair bleachers and fencing, install windscreens and fence caps, build dugouts, plant flowers and perform general clean up tasks. The goal of the project is to unveil the park during the 16th Annual Ken Kipke Men’s Softball Classic on May 16. Dow volunteers will also sell hot dogs, chips and drinks on May 16 to raise additional funds for Friends of Hoyt Park.
“Dow employees have a long history of giving back to the community,” said David Dupre, vice president of Michigan Operations. “This is the perfect opportunity for our employees to come together en masse to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors.”
Hoyt Park, located in the Celebration Square area, was developed in the late 1800s on a parcel of land donated by New York lumber baron Jesse Hoyt. Over the course of 100 years, hundreds of thousands of people have enjoyed the park’s ample space and beauty. But in recent years, the park has fallen into disrepair.
“This began as an effort to give Saginaw youth a place to play ball and has evolved into a major effort to restore and preserve one of Saginaw’s treasures,” said Saginaw City Councilman Paul Virciglio. “This project will breathe new life into the Celebration Square area and give our residents a park to enjoy for many years to come.”
Over the past few years, Dow has supported a number of projects aimed at improving the quality of life in Saginaw. Last summer, more than 1,200 volunteers (~700 Dow employees) restored more than 40 homes near Covenant Healthcare during the Dow Habitat Neighborhood Revitalization Project. Also, our contribution to the City of Saginaw, served as a catalyst for fundraising efforts for the repurposing of Anderson Water Park.
Local Community Success Efforts
Dow has been an integral part of the Great Lakes Bay Area for 112 years. Although we are a global company, our commitment to this community – where our company began – remains strong. That’s why we are developing a Community Success plan that will enable us to focus our efforts on those things that mean the most to you. We will apply our intellectual and business know-how to these areas to maximize the long-term benefit to our community. You will be hearing more about our plans in the coming months. More information about these activities and more can be found at www.dowinmichigan.com.
About Dow
For Editorial Information:
Jennifer Heronema
The Dow Chemical Company
989-636-9142
Eric Rutherford
Friends of Hoyt Park
(989) 295-7027
erutherford@bridgeportmi.org
