Citrus Heights Mayor Dr. Jayna Karpinski-Costa read the city’s proclamation to the gathered volunteers before joining City Councilmember Porsche Middleton to plant a tree on the grounds of City Hall.

Volunteers enjoyed hot coffee and a morning continental breakfast while listening to a safety brief from the city’s general services department after their registration.

 "Chip In Days" volunteers enjoyed hot coffee and breakfast snack after registration for the event at City Hall. 

Soon it was time to put on yellow safety vests, place rakes and shovels over their shoulders and begin their walk down Fountain Square Drive toward Van Maren Park, where piles of bark, the city’s specially-designated blend, awaited them at the project site.

The city’s annual “Chip-In Days” are designed to foster community pride while enhancing the beauty of Citrus Heights’ public spaces, said Armando Velasquez, the city’s General Service Department’s assistant city maintenance inspector.

“We pick a different location every year throughout the city,” Velasquez said. “All of the materials were provided by our sponsors and no city funds are involved (in this annual project).”

The popular annual event attracted volunteers from local businesses, churches and Boys and Girl Scout members who helped spruce up the estimated 150-yard length of a landscaped retaining wall from the corner of Cedar Ranch Road directly across from Van Maren Park.

Six large piles of bark, dropped off by dump trucks in advance of the event, taller than some of the young volunteers who climbed them (just to see if they could), were gone by 12:30 p.m. when the project was completed and a hot pizza lunch provided by the city was served and enjoyed on the Citrus Heights City Hall grounds.

In previous Arbor Day “chip in” events, volunteers have refreshed the City Hall side of Fountain Square Drive with new bark, leading to the roundabout, the grounds surrounding the main parking lot of the Citrus Heights Police Department and the shoulder of Auburn Road from the Stock Ranch marquee sign in front of Costco and Walmart toward Sylvan Middle School.

This year, volunteers turned their attention to placing new bark under the tall palm trees inside the circular traffic roundabout across from the Van Maren Park entrance.

“I’m so proud of all the volunteers who turn out to help each year,” Velasquez said, watching as wheelbarrows of bark were shoveled full and then pushed up a curved berm where they needed to be placed. Volunteers, holding rakes or shovels, quickly got to work, spreading it out before moving on to the next needed location.

“Our local supplier who works with us sells that popular variety of tree bark, known as Citrus Heights Coconut Brown, to the public under that brand name,” Velasquez said.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Heights Church, Advent Lutheran Church, Sayonara Community Center and local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops also participated in the city’s Fall Chip-In Day.

Velasquez recognized all the participating volunteers and event sponsors who have continued to help make the annual fall volunteer event such a success every year.

Many took their chances to win a wide range of raffle prizes and gift bags that were donated by the city and participating sponsors.

Sponsors this year included Arrow Construction, Biondi Paving Inc., California Landscape Services, Citrus Heights Car Wash, Citrus Heights Mower Shop, Citrus Heights Water Board of Directors, Coastline Water Resources, J & A Steam Cleaning, Linmoore Fencing, MCE, Republic Services, Sunrise Parks and Recreation and West Coast Arborist.