City event is a rousing success

By Dennis Box

The Courier-Herald

The second "beautify Bonney Lake" event became a city happening Saturday as about 350 people gathered to clean, rake and plant.

Groups of volunteers worked at various sites around the city to spruce up Bonney Lake's appearance.

At Ascent Park along state Route 410 East, Bonney Lake High School football players, parents, city staff, council members and other members of the community gathered to plant shrubs, put down beauty bark and topsoil.

"We had 200 people last year," said Carol Wells-Reed, one of the event organizers. "This year it's phenomenal. I'm sure there is a lot more. We are planning on forming a non-profit Beautify Bonney Lake organization."

Andrew Lear brought the idea to the Chamber of Commerce and organized the first event and he continues to work on the committee.

Councilman Neil Johnson is chairman of the committee.

"This is something where the chamber can give back to the community," Johnson said. "The city of Bonney Lake stepped up and helped with staff. This brings us together and starts the process of people getting involved. It's great for the community."

The event went from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers were given bright T-shirts with Beautify Bonney Lake logos. Work parties gathered at Ascent Park, Allan Yorke Park, Bonney Lake Elementary, Lake Bonney, the intersection of state Route 410 East and 214th Avenue East, the Bonney Lake Library, the Sumner-Buckley Highway and the downtown core.

Target was a major sponsor of the event, giving money to fund the work. Columbia Bank purchased plants and bark, Leylandii Cypress trees were donated by the Garden of Eden in Puyallup, Barker Enterprises in Sumner donated 30 yards of top soil, 410 Rentals donated tools and volunteers, Starbucks provided coffee and Godfather's Pizza donated pizza for after the event.

Priced Right Print and Sign donated signs and funds, Sports Connection sold T-shirts at a reduced cost and Hillside Gardens provided bark mulch at a reduced cost.

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.

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