May Day Helps Make Madison Beautiful

Those who help run May Day know they can never get too many volunteers. And potential volunteers should be happy to know that it's never too late to give of their time to beautifying Madison until the event is over.

"They can still call me, but we also have a registration station by the Hartley Dodge building where we'll have Cheryl Munkel who will take all walk-ups and direct them from there to different project sites," said Volunteer Coordinator Lisa Ellis, who is also the president of the Board of Education.

Those welcome late comers, as well as those already signed up, should get there by 8 a.m. for the start of the four-hour, town-wide event that is in its 13th year. This year, May Day Chair Mara Johnson said the event has a title sponsor, as it is officially called May Day in Madison, Sponsored by Madison Medical and Sports Rehabilitation.

"They gave us a $2,500 donation that brought us over the top," Johnson said

As usual, volunteers will be cleaning up and mulching in many public areas in the borough. This year, however, the response has been even greater than in the past.

"We've had a very good volunteer response this year, probably better than ever," Ellis, who is in her second year coordinating the volunteers, said. "We had to order more T-shirts because the response was so great. I'm still getting e-mails and calls from people who want to help. Now I just hope for great weather."

Johnson says she expects close to 900 volunteers. Some of the different project sites will be Cole Park, the area around the train station, Memorial Park by the pool, and each of the elementary schools and the junior school, along with many spots in the center of town.

Johnson said about 60 donors other than Madison Medical and Sports Rehabilitation gave at least $250 as T-shirt sponsors. Each year, the T-shirt has a new design thanks to the winner of a contest featuring Madison public school elementary school children. This year's design winner was Central Avenue Elementary School 5th-grader Julia Grant.

The money raised also tends to go toward the hanging baskets in the borough, as in most years another 10 new baskets would be added. However, Johnson says the 163 that are throughout downtown have brought the area to the "saturation point." Any money leftover goes to the Downtown Development Commission, which supports the business district.

Johnson is in her 10th year of working with the project, which she said was started 13 years ago by Main Street Executive Director Jim Burnet. She said it was her love of the community–and gardening–that attracted her to the project.

"There is a real sense pride in the community; it's really taken off over the years," Johnson said. "It's continually grown in size and importance. It's important for people to feel they can help. ... Everybody who is part of it really loves it and looks forward to it."

That enjoyment is something Ellis also cited as something that goes along with a sense of duty.

"I think we all have the responsibility to pitch in and help out as far as the community is concerned," Ellis said. "I think that's especially true in these times. But it's not just that–it's also a lot of fun."