Volunteers dig in to help township parks

Day of Caring crews pull piping at Huyser Farm, remove decaying bridge at Farview Park.

Volunteers from the Allegan office of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services remove unused irrigation pipes at Huyser Farm Park, 4188 64th St. in Laketown Township as part of the United Way Day of Caring on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026.

More than a dozen volunteers from the Allegan office of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services wielded shovels, pried with crowbars and swung sledgehammers to clean up two Laketown Township parks as part of the annual Heart of West Michigan United Way Day of Caring on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026.

“I’m not afraid of a little hard work,” said Roberta Martinez while she stacked irrigation piping over a small creek at Huyser Farm Park, 4188 64th St.

“I like this kind of work,” said Andrea MacKenzie who dug out the decades-old aluminum pipes from under inches of soil and twisted roots.

Andrea MacKenzie, front, and Kaitlynn Degrande from the Allegan office of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services remove unused irrigation pipes at Huyser Farm Park, 4188 64th St. in Laketown Township as part of the United Way Day of Caring on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026.

Seven volunteers directed by Laketown Township Parks and Recreation Commission member Dale Burkett removed the pipes so hikers will have a more natural view of the park’s beauty. The unused pipes have been in the park since the township acquired the land in 2001.

Volunteers at Huyser Farm Park also included Marcy Locatis, Sidney Fisher, Kaitlynn Degrande, Lisa Adams, and Megan Sterk.

The township is deciding what to do with the metal.

The Laketown Township Parks and Recreation Commission chose where to use the volunteer workers.

“Laketown Township Parks and Recreation looks forward to partnering with the Day of Caring every year,” said parks Chairperson Brad Laninga. “Grateful for all the work the volunteers do to help us clean up and maintain the beautiful parks in our township.”

A team of volunteers from the Allegan office of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services removes a section of an equestrian bridge in Farview Park, 6257 138th Ave., in Laketown Township as part of the United Way Day of Caring on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026.

At Farview Park

Another six volunteers from Health and Human Services worked on demolishing a damaged equestrian bridge at Farview Park, 6257 138th Ave.

Pulling nails with crowbars and hacking through rotted beams, the volunteers removed the bridge in sections, cheering and clapping when about a 10-foot section was lifted away.

Jeff Partyka, facilities operations for the township, led this group deep into the 87-acre park. He will later remove remaining posts and debris and use sand to fill in the trail for horse riders.

Volunteers at Farview Park were Lindsey Vadebonchoeur, Meghan Clemans, Heather Ergang, Sarah Treadway, Maggie Rininger and Sean Doughty.

The Day of Caring coordinates hundreds of employees from companies across West Michigan to assist local nonprofit agencies. This annual event helps nonprofit organizations get things done⁠, projects they may not have the day-to-day capacity to do throughout the year, according to the United Way website.

In past Day of Caring events in Laketown Township, volunteers cleared overgrowth in the blueberry fields at Huyser Farm Park in 2025, painted the Old Township Hall and spread woodchips on trails at Farview Park in 2023, and cleaned sand off the stairs at Laketown Township Beach in 2022.

Lisa Adams from the Allegan office of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services digs out unused irrigation pipes at Huyser Farm Park, 4188 64th St. in Laketown Township as part of the United Way Day of Caring on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026.