Thirty-one Democratic volunteers today spent three hours planting 74 trees in the Villa Park neighborhood as part of a growing effort to engage Colorado Democrats in community service. Democrats Work, which is leading the service-based movement in the state and nationally, partnered with the Denver Dems and the Colorado and Denver Young Democrats to mobilize volunteers to plant trees in support of the Mile High Million program, Mayor Hickenlooper's tree planting initiative that will add one million new trees in the metropolitan area by the year 2025.
"Democrats are putting our values into action and walking the walk by contributing to this great effort to green Denver," said
Erin Egan, Colorado Director of Democrats Work. "Our goal is to make community service an integral part of year-round political action in Colorado. By planting trees and the seeds for a new approach to politics, we are continuing to build the reputation of Democrats as the people you can turn to when there is a need for volunteers. We want folks in the community to say: Call the Democrats, they've always got people who can help."
Also on-hand for the event were State Representative Jerry Frangas (HD-4), Cindy Lowery (Candidate for HD-8), and Ray Gutierrez (Denver School Board Candidate).
Denver Parks and Recreation supplied the trees and foresters who guided todays planting. In previous weeks Democratic volunteers canvassed the Villa Park neighborhood with The Park People, enlisting residents to care for the trees that were planted.
Democrats Work partners with Democratic organizations throughout Colorado to help connect Democratic volunteers with service projects in their communities. Last Sunday, Democrats Work and the Broomfield Dems organized an open space cleanup that attracted 31 volunteers, including all three candidates running for Congress in the 2nd District--Joan Fitz-Gerald, Jared Polis and Will Shafroth. In addition, Democrats Work has this year helped mobilize Colorado Democrats to cleanup trails and parks, plant trees, help a park ranger remove an old fence in Arapahoe County and work at the open space and volunteer at the Wellness Fair in Broomfield County. Upcoming events include painting out graffiti in metro Denver (September 9th).