Idaho Falls Power employees traded their desks, bucket trucks and meeting rooms for work gloves, paint brushes and wheelbarrows as they participated in their first Public Power Day of Giving on June 22, as part of the larger American Public Power Association’s Public Power Month of Giving.
Approximately 40 Idaho Falls Power employees worked together on a variety of beautification projects along the Idaho Falls Riverwalk, helping maintain some of the city’s most treasured public spaces.
“One of the things that makes public power unique is that we’re owned by the people we serve,” said Chris Fredericksen, General Manager of Idaho Falls Power and Idaho Falls Fiber. “This Day of Giving is an opportunity for us to demonstrate that commitment in a hands-on way while helping care for the community assets that residents and visitors enjoy every day.”
Volunteer projects included:
• Staining the Riverwalk viewing decks overlooking the Snake River
• Installing bark mulch in public landscape planters near Broadway and River Parkway
• Cleaning, weeding and trimming around the Riverwalk rock gardens
• Trimming brush and maintaining pathway corridors between South Tourist Park and Sunnyside in preparation for the Fourth of July.
"We're incredibly grateful to Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation for partnering with us on this event and for the tremendous work they do year-round to maintain the Riverwalk, Greenbelt, parks, and public spaces that make Idaho Falls such a special place to live,” said Fredericksen.
"Public power is about neighbors serving neighbors. Whether we are restoring power, investing in local infrastructure or helping our community, our goal is the same, to make Idaho Falls an even better place to live, work and raise a family," the utility noted.
Public Power Month of Giving is a nationwide initiative encouraging public power utilities to strengthen the communities they serve through volunteerism and community engagement.
At APPA's National Conference in Boston, Mass., this month, volunteers participated in community service events.
