Photo by Jon Anderson.
A man loads pine straw into a truck bed for distribution around the grounds of Greystone Elementary during a 2017 Hoover City Dad Brigade cleanup.
Signup for the 2018 Hoover City Dad Brigade back-to-school cleanup begins June 4.
Hoover Councilman Derrick Murphy, the lead organizer for the event, said he hopes 500 to 600 men and high school boys will sign up for cleanup effort, scheduled for July 28.
This is the fourth year for the event, where male volunteers gather at Hoover schools to help spruce up the buildings and grounds prior to the start of the school year, which is Aug. 8.
Principals at the schools develop lists of work they would like to see done, which typically includes landscaping, spreading pine straw, trimming bushes, pressure washing, painting and general cleanup.
The men are invited to gather at the Home Depot in Riverchase for a breakfast provided by Chick-fil-A and to hear instructions before dispersing to Hoover’s 16 schools. Some men go straight to the schools to help.
While it’s called the Hoover City Dad Brigade, men do not have to be fathers of students in Hoover schools to participate. Grandfathers, uncles, brothers and unrelated men are invited to assist, but volunteers must at least be high school age, Murphy said.
Frequently, several Hoover religious organizations send teams of men to help. Those who assisted last year included Hunter Street Baptist, Green Valley Baptist, Shades Crest Baptist, Cross Creek Church, Christian Life Church and the Hoover Islamic Center.
Corporate partners providing money, materials or other support for the event include Home Depot, Chick-fil-A, Zaxby’s, Alabama Rentals, Allworld Project Management, the Hoover Rotary Club, Legends Barber Shop, Hoover Councilman Gene Smith, Pete’s Printing, Riverchase Car Wash & Detail and the Hoover City Schools Foundation.
