AMSTERDAM — Volunteers from National Grid collected around 40 bags of leaves and 20 bags of trash along a 10-mile section of the Erie Canalway Trail and in two neighboring parks Friday morning.
Over 60 employees from the utility company fanned out to beautify the trail, South Side Veterans Memorial Park and John Sampone Sr. Memorial Children's Park.
Brian Sano, regional executive for National Grid, said staff take part in community initiatives each year to celebrate Earth Day. This year’s effort supported Parks & Trails New York’s Canal Clean Sweep initiative cleaning up the state Canal System and Canalway Trail.
“It's not just something that the company wants to do, it's what the employees really enjoy doing,” Sano said. “Every year, this is one of our biggest events when it comes to employee engagement.”
Regional employees mostly from the greater Capital District came together to rake leaves and pick up litter. Sano, of Troy, enjoyed lending a helping hand while catching up with colleagues who are normally spread out at various worksites or in the field.
“We don't only work here, we live here. We're a part of the communities that we serve,” Sano said. “We do more than just the core work. We get out and we try to make a positive impact in the community every day.”
Cleaning up the extensive area was expected to take half a day, but the robust volunteer workforce quickly covered the area and were largely finished after about two and a half hours.
Accumulated leaves, empty bottles, food wrappers, bags of dog waste and a bowling ball were among the materials cleared from the trail and park spaces.
Sue Collins, customer and community manager for National Grid, said the spring cleaning left the area looking “great” and ready for new growth.
“Getting my coworkers together for an event like this is really great,” said Collins, of Caroga Lake. “I love being involved in these ways of giving back to the community.”
Kira Kenyon, a senior project manager, said the many hands made light work of raking up the mass of fallen leaves in the park honoring veterans.
“It made it a really good bonding experience with colleagues while doing something good for the community,” said Kenyon, of Clifton Park.
Jeff Ricciardi, manager for substations, said he started the morning tidying up at the South Side playground and could see the difference when staff were finished before lending a hand at the veterans memorial.
The group effort, he added, may inspire others to do their part keeping the popular Erie Canalway Trail and other public spaces clean in the future.
“Cleaning up the trash is the big thing,” said Ricciardi, of Pattersonville. “Hopefully, if everybody sees us cleaning it up, it makes people think.”