What started out more than 10 years ago as Riverbank Spring Clean has morphed into an event now called Love Riverbank, patterned after the nearby Love Modesto movement. The annual event still enjoys support from a wide cross section of residents who turn out each year to help make life more enjoyable here by cleaning up, painting up and fixing up across town.

Most Love Riverbank participants gathered at the city’s Community Center at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, for donuts, water, and to fill out necessary waiver forms prior to dispersing to their work sites across town. Not all participants started out there, but it was estimated approximately 250 volunteers were involved in pick up, clean up, fix up projects across town.

Projects involved cleaning and weeding at Jacob Myers Park and River Cove, to tidying up alleys and streets around town, cleaning garden boxes at the Community Garden to pruning planter boxes at Crossroads Elementary School and other work at Cardozo Middle School.

Love Riverbank this year was organized by Angie Young Timpone of Living Grace Church. In the past, other churches and organizations have spearheaded the project, going back to 2011, when local volunteers took a cue from Love Modesto, which had begun in 2009.

Mayor Richard O’Brien, as well as council members Cal Campbell and Jeannine Tucker, vice mayor Darlene Barber-Martinez were all in attendance and the list of attendees also included Police Chief Erin Kiely and City Manager Jill Anderson, who were on hand as the event began.

The dust had settled, both figuratively and literally, across town by midday.

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