PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On a cold and windy morning, some 40 volunteers gave up their afternoon to spruce up Clapp Park.

 

Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity organized the clean up as part of its neighborhood revitalization efforts. Lowe's, Habitat for Humanity's national partner, awarded the local organization $40,000 to invest back into west Pittsfield. 

 

"The Lowe's grant is helping to fund the new splash pad," said Dawn Giftos of Central Berkshire Habitat. 

 

The city is about to undertake a massive project at Clapp Park that came together through multiple organizations. The Rotary Club raised money to put in a splash pad, the Buddy Pellerin Field Committee raised money to improve the baseball field, and the state awarded a grant for numerous other park projects.

 

Habitat donated to the splash pad aspect of the project and then got volunteers together to clean up the park on Friday as it looks toward the renovations of the park starting in the Spring. 

 

"They're doing trail building, painting, they're cleaning up the dugouts and raking," Giftos said.

 

Lowe's sent a little more than a dozen people from stores in Hadley and Ware to help. 

 

"We've got 13,14 people here. It is really nice. We're always looking forward to these events," said Steven White of Lowe's. 

 

About a dozen volunteers from the Rotary Club pitched in and Taconic High School carpentry students and All Seasons Realty Group joined the effort.

 

Together the dugouts were repainted, trails were cleaned up and marked, doors and restrooms were repaired, and an array general landscaping projects were done. The city's Parks and Open Spaces Manager Jim McGrath said much of the work was focused on the area near the Little League because for the most part that is kept up by volunteers.

 

"We're super happy to have all of these volunteers here helping at Clapp Park. It is all part of a larger effort to revitalize the park and we are super pleased with the turnout," McGrath said.

 

The effort is just one of many Giftos said is being done as part of the $40,000 grant. She said Habitat for Humanity will be undertaking small projects throughout the western portion of the city with the intent of "improving quality of life" and making the city more attractive.