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Parks report: Eli Lilly volunteers, recycled‑materials grant for dog park and events scheduled
Summary
Parks Director John Messenger told the board that 475 volunteers supported parks and trails during Eli Lilly Global Day of Service and that the department secured two grants to support supplies and dog‑park features.
Lebanon — Parks Department staff updated the board on volunteer activity, grants and upcoming events at the Oct. 14 Board of Works meeting.
Parks Director John Messenger said the city hosted 475 volunteers during the Eli Lilly Global Day of Service; staff estimated volunteers completed nearly 1,900 hours of work across downtown, the Big 4 Trail, the community garden and Stoneater Bike Park. Messenger said the city received $3,000 from Eli Lilly to purchase supplies.
Messenger also reported the department was awarded a $10,000 grant from Boone County Solid Waste to fund dog‑park features (benches and equipment made from recycled materials). He described ongoing maintenance and upcoming events including the Nykaa mountain‑bike race weekend at Stoneater, Pumpkin in the Park (Oct. 25, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., $5) and a Colonial Market Days/ Revolutionary War encampment Oct. 25–26 at Abner Longley Park.
Why it matters: the volunteer effort provided hours of maintenance and improvements to parks and trails, and the grants will fund visible amenities such as dog‑park benches and supplies for volunteer activities.
What the board heard: Messenger described multiple maintenance and programming accomplishments and encouraged public attendance at upcoming events. No formal board action was required on the grants during the meeting; the department thanked DPW and other partners for assistance with trail repairs and maintenance.
Quote: "They completed nearly 1,900 hours of tasks," Messenger said describing the Eli Lilly volunteer event, and noted the group provided strong assistance across multiple city sites.
Next steps: Parks staff will install donated memorial benches and a memorial tree and continue to coordinate park maintenance, grant procurement and event logistics.
