Team HOK - top row L-R: Ayanna Sinclair, Vincent Ng, Nita Tuvesson, Catherine Haley; Bottom Row L-R: Jacalyn Chnowski, Jodi Williams; Missing in action (i.e., working too hard): Claire Whitehill & Jelena Lustica
Each year, the DC Building Industry Association pulls together volunteers from across the building industry to undertake a major project to benefit the community. Using the expertise of its members, DCBIA has been able to make major improvements throughout the community.
This year’s DCBIA Community Improvement Day (the 17th!) was held at Fort Mahan Park in Northeast Washington, DC. Fort Mahan was originally constructed as a Union stronghold to protect Benning’s Bridge from the Confederate Army. The 40-acre site was developed into a park that includes hiking/biking trails, an abandoned swimming pool, and playing fields.
Cared for by the National Park Service and the District Department of Parks and Recreation, the park is heavily wooded and has been known for housing illicit activities.
Goals for the project included: clearing out undergrowth and cleaning up pathways, adding new signage, converting the abandoned pool and pool house into a basketball court, creating a new park entrance, and cleaning up in general.
The HOK team was assigned to clean up at the back baseball field, where we toiled away clearing pathways and tearing out underbrush. Among the finds of the day were several school chairs, an automobile bumper, golf balls, baseballs, and a softball. Also cleared from the brush were a long-forgotten bench and football sled.
We worked long and hard and have the aches, pains, bug bites, and one case of poison ivy to prove it, but a good time was had by all and Fort Mahan is looking better than ever! Congratulations are due to DCBIA for the excellent event and also thanks to the many, many volunteers from all across the industry!
Future building industry professionals from L to R: Casey Anderson 17, friend; Tyler Haley, 17; Thomas Anderson, 13; Jonathan Haley, 13
