Santa Maria Rec and Parks: Dozens of volunteers team up to rejuvenate parks run down during pandemic

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - For many, a walk in the park has proved to be more important than ever.

"It's important to me because I can have fun at the park. I can jog around the park. I can run around the park," said park-goer Jonah Walker.

Managers with the Recreation and Parks Department say more people came to the Santa Maria parks as an outlet during the past 15 months of COVID-related restrictions.

"Well they got to come out here and play and use these facilities and so what we’ve seen is just a tremendous turn out from the community here," said Assistant Director Brett Fulgoni of the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department.

As a result of this high turnout, some of the parks got a little run down including Buena Vista Park.

"It’s different at every park, here they have some basketball courts and they run across and that’s why we’re replacing some of the plants," said senior crew leader Mario Eulloqui of the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department.

Dozens of volunteers are teaming up with the city to help rejuvenate parks.

"We do our best to keep up but you know when you have an influx of people you know they walk through the plants they create new paths, they use the lawn so that’s why our crew is here to help fix that," said Fulgoni.

Since the state of California’s reopening, some 50 volunteers are coming together to help the recreation and parks crew- beautify Santa Maria.

This weekend, volunteers from the Recreation and Parks Department, Serve Santa Maria and other community groups are rebuilding the landscape at Buena Vista Park.