When Alicia Schulhof, president of the IU Health North Suburban Area, addressed the two groups of her hospital associates that had assembled with park staff at Cool Creek Park on Sept. 14, she explained the purpose of the day: “Our Day of Service effort this year really aligns with our healthy weight and nutrition efforts in addressing the community need.”
To advance that key initiative, more than 170 inspired IU Health volunteers, with the help of Hamilton County Parks staff, went to work. In two shifts throughout the unseasonably warm day, they added four new play elements to the popular Nature Play Area – an innovative outdoor play area the volunteers and park staff created last year in Cool Creek Park. The day’s coordinated efforts also included fortifying the brush barrier surrounding the play area, painting park shelters and restrooms, replacing decking on a pedestrian bridge, repairing and beautifying park trails, removing invasive plants and even painting the park’s playground water fountains in bright colors. Throughout the hot and humid day, Kona Ice kept volunteers and park staff cool by serving their donated tasty shaved ice treats.
IU Health volunteers added four new play elements to the popular Nature Play Area in Cool Creek Park. (Photo provided)
While the work was taking place in the park, hospital staff at IU Health North and IU Health Saxony campuses, as an extension of the Day of Service effort, busily prepared 5,000 milkweed seed packets. The seeds will be distributed in support of Hamilton County Park’s Mission Monarch program – intended to increase the monarch butterfly population, which has been decreasing at an alarming rate over the past decade.
The work undertaken this year was in celebration of IU Health’s 10th anniversary of their now well-known Day of Service. Of the 10 years the program has been in place, IU Health has partnered with Hamilton County Parks for the last six of those 10 years to implement community health enhancement projects.
To learn more about IU Health, visit IUHealth.org. For more details about Hamilton County Parks, visit MyHamiltonCountyParks.com or call 317-770-4400.