• Volunteers filling their plates with food before the ceremony

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Although they honored about a thousand volunteers throughout the Township tonight, roughly 60 volunteers showed up to the "Friends of the Parks and Land Preservation Volunteer Recognition Ceremony". Just as the title suggests, these people were thanked for their many hours of hard work for Meridian Township in 2017. The ceremony was put together by Kelsey Dillon, the Stewardship Coordinator for the Parks and Recreational Department.

"We are really excited to be able to provide a little ceremony, a dinner and this year we had a movie where all of our volunteers explained what they were doing and why it matters so much," Kelsey Dillon exclaims.

Each volunteer also received a coffee mug and a goody bag filled with candy to further show the township's appreciation for all they have done. Even though many people help and volunteer around the parks, more are always needed.

"The thing is: we need a lot of volunteers, because our natural areas are about 1800 acres. So, we have a lot of land and there's a lot of projects. But, the good thing is in Meridian we have so many people that care about our natural areas," Dillon elaborates.

Beyond the Parks and Recreational Department, the Township also has several clubs volunteers that have participated in bettering the Township's environment. Clubs such as the Gardening club, the Haslett Beautification Association, the Friends of Historic Meridian and many other groups that come together and help out is various ways.