This Thursday, don’t be surprised if you see a crowd of Whirlpool Corporation employees at Broadway Park in Benton Harbor. They’re taking a day away from their desks, going outside of the office, and hosting their 2nd annual Day of Impact, giving back to the community in which they work.
Plans for this year’s Day of Impact include working with City of Benton Harbor leaders to clean and fix up Broadway Park and prepare it for its renaming later this year. The park will be rededicated as the June Woods Memorial Park, in honor of a former slave who moved to Benton Harbor in the late 1800s and became a respected community leader and entrepreneur.
The full release from Whirlpool Corporation:
Whirlpool Corporation is hosting the second annual “Day of Impact” employee volunteer day of service to support improvements to Broadway Park in Benton Harbor on Thursday, June 15, 2023. The selection of Broadway Park and renovation planning was done in conjunction with the City of Benton Harbor and other local organizations. The event is a continuation of the revitalization of city parks as a part of the Whirlpool Racial Equality Pledge, which started with the Day of Impact at Union Park in 2022 and the company’s commitment to work outside its four walls to help improve the quality of life and neighborhoods for residents of Benton Harbor.
This year, Whirlpool is partnering with local community organization Neighbors Organizing Against Racism (NOAR) in volunteering to revitalize this park. NOAR started the initiative to rename Broadway Park after June Woods, a former slave who moved to Benton Harbor around 1870 and became a respected community leader and entrepreneur. As a tree farmer who owned his own business, he planted many of the city’s trees. Last year, Benton Harbor’s City Commission approved the renaming of Broadway Park to June Woods Memorial Park, and the park will be rededicated with its new name this year.
Some highlights of the work being done in Broadway Park include:
- June Woods memorial monument installation
- Repaving and refreshing basketball courts with sidewalks
- New 40×50 turf field
- Repairs for playground equipment with rubber mulch in playground area
- Newly added and expanded sidewalks
More than 120 Whirlpool and NOAR volunteers will be volunteering for this day of service and work on Broadway Park is expected to be completed this summer.
