Nonprofit cleans for All-Star festivities

A green group is trying to make Detroit a little cleaner for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

The Greening of Detroit, a nonprofit environmental group, will assemble a Green Corps to spruce up the People Mover stations and the Garden Station People Mover Park at the corner of Beaubien and Macomb in the heart of Greektown.

The team of 50 city youths has been hired by the nonprofit organization to plant flowers and shrubs at the park to commemorate Tuesday’s game.

Forty of the youths, ages 14 to 18, competed and won a summer job with The Greening of Detroit to maintain planting sites throughout the city.

In April, more than 160 students tried out for the $7-an-hour jobs with 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. hours Monday through Friday.

“They pick up litter, mulch and prune and (do) any and all maintenance,” said Monica Tabares, development and public relations coordinator.

The remaining 10 are program graduates who are coming back to help.

The Greening of Detroit began a partnership with the People Mover in 2001 to beautify and maintain the stations.

When the People Mover wanted to create a friendly environment at an empty lot, the city called in Greening to build the garden park.

On Tuesday, the students will make sure the stations are clean for the visitors. They will meet at 11 a.m. at the park. For information, contact Tabares at The Greening of Detroit at (313) 237-8733 or e-mail monica@greeningofdetroit.com.