Outdoor fun embraced
A section of Canboro Road in Fenwick turned green Saturday.
About 630 square metres of sod was laid out along a section of Canboro Road near Maple Street for the Fenwick Come Alive Outside Green Street Challenge. The event focused on fun family activities, including badminton, hula hoops, jump rope and drawing with chalk.
Local businesses Young Sod Farms, DeKorte’s Landscaping and Nature’s Own worked with the town to make the event a success.
Barb Christopher and her husband Scott Christopher, owners of Young Sod Farms, said they approached the town about hosting the event earlier this year. Barb said similar events are being held throughout Ontario to encourage youth to play outdoors. She said it’s important for people to detach from their electronics and enjoy nature more.
Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn said he was pleased to see so many people enjoying the fresh grass. He said it was also nice to see a turnout of people of different ages, from babies to great-grandparents.
“This is to bring community together and celebrate the wonderful community we are,” Augustyn said.
Eventgoers were asking Augustyn if the challenge will become a yearly event. He said he wasn’t sure yet, but there has been a great deal of positive feedback.
Victoria Orosz and her three children attended the event Saturday afternoon. Orosz said she thought the Come Alive Outside Street Challenge was a great way to get her children out of the house. Orosz’s children were having fun playing various games while Orosz enjoyed spending time with neighbours.
Young Sod Farms donated the grass for the event. Scott said he was up at 4:30 a.m. Saturday cutting the sod and preparing it. About 15 people worked together to ready the street by 9 a.m. Scott said it only took about 45 minutes to lay out. The fire department sprayed the street with water before the sod could be placed.
After the event ended, the grass was donated to a Fenwick family building a house to be accessible for their son who is bound to a wheelchair.
Landscape Ontario, with the help of Young Sod Farms, DeKorte’s Landscaping and Nature’s Own, will help lay the sod at the family’s home. MAllenberg@postmedia.com Twitter: @M_Allenberg