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Chrysler volunteers ‘clean up’ west end (with video)

“It’s more gratifying than sitting in an office cubicle.”

Paint brush in hand, Dawn Bezaire continued the upward and downward strokes Wednesday along a graffiti-clad shed that backed onto Bridgeview Park.

The customs analyst at Chrysler Canada joined about 100 of her co-workers who volunteered their time and effort, painting, trimming  and weeding eight park areas in Windsor’s west end.

Part of Chrysler Group’s Community Action Day, the volunteers partnered with the United Way and Our West End, a grassroots community group,  to “brighten up” the locations.

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Steve Symons, left, and Dawn Bizaire paint over graffiti along a fence near the 600 block of MacEwan Avenue in Windsor, Ontario on June 26, 2013. Nearly a hundred Chrysler Canada office volunteers worked together with the United Way of Windsor/Essex County and OWE to brighten up several area parks in Windsor's west-end neighbourhoods. Employees will brave the heat to clean, trim, paint and weed these parks that are enjoyed by thousands of area residents and visitors. Chrysler Group's Community Action Day encourages volunteerism and community involvement. An estimated 400 volunteer hours, 80 gallons of paint, 50 sanding sponges, countless yard waste bags, work gloves and trimming tools will be used to help brighten up the community parks. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

Steve Symons, left, and Dawn Bizaire paint over graffiti along a fence near the 600 block of MacEwan Avenue in Windsor, Ontario on June 26, 2013. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

“You’re really redefining what it means to be a corporate citizen in this community,” Fabio Costante, OWE spokesman, told the volunteers who gathered at the Centres for Seniors on McEwan Avenue ahead of the clean up.  “Today, we’re painting over graffiti — you’ll see it on a lot of alleys, parkways and play equipment. But what we’re also doing is redefining what it means to live in this area.”

Last year, which was the launch of the community action day, volunteers targeted Drouillard Road,  said Matt Brannagan, senior manager of dealer network development.

“This is becoming part of what we do at Chrysler — helping the community and our friends,” said Brannagan.

Chrysler estimates that 400 volunteer hours, 80 gallons of paint, 50 sanding sponges, countless yard waste bags, work gloves and trimming tools will be used to help brighten up the community parks.

Under a North America-wide corporate policy implemented this year, the automaker  awards 18 hours of  community service per salaried employee each year, said LouAnn Gosselin, Chrysler Canada spokeswoman.

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Chrysler Canada employee Dawn Bizaire's shadow is cast while painting over graffiti on a fence near the 600 block of MacEwan Avenue in Windsor, Ontario on June 26, 2013. Nearly a hundred Chrysler Canada office volunteers worked together with the United Way of Windsor/Essex County and OWE to brighten up several area parks in Windsor's west-end neighbourhoods. Employees will brave the heat to clean, trim, paint and weed these parks that are enjoyed by thousands of area residents and visitors. Chrysler Group's Community Action Day encourages volunteerism and community involvement. An estimated 400 volunteer hours, 80 gallons of paint, 50 sanding sponges, countless yard waste bags, work gloves and trimming tools will be used to help brighten up the community parks. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

Chrysler Canada employee Dawn Bizaire’s shadow is cast while painting over graffiti on a fence near the 600 block of MacEwan Avenue in Windsor, Ontario on June 26, 2013.  (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

“That’s a $10 million corporate investment in salaries in North America,” she said. “We’re not just throwing money at everything. All employees can volunteer in their community.”

West-end resident Jim Duff, whose house backs onto Bridgeview Park, said the volunteer effort could help keep vandals out of the neighbourhood.

“It’s a good sign,” said Duff, a 30-year resident. “Maybe it will deter kids from defacing our property.”

It’s a sentiment shared by Costante, whose group is dedicated to preventing crime in the west end.

“One of the things we are trying to do as a grassroots initiative is bring families back to the west end and we believe that there has to be amenities that attract families,” he said. “One of those amenities is parks. I grew up in the west end, grew up playing around in these parks, and it’s these same parks that we are going to help clean up  and really turn the page on a neighbourhood that desperately needs it.”

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Chrysler Canada RDC employee Dave Krueger paints a swing set near the 600 block of McEwan Avenue in Windsor, Ontario on June 26, 2013. Nearly a hundred Chrysler Canada office volunteers worked together with the United Way of Windsor/Essex County and OWE to brighten up several area parks in Windsor's west-end neighbourhoods. Employees will brave the heat to clean, trim, paint and weed these parks that are enjoyed by thousands of area residents and visitors. Chrysler Group's Community Action Day encourages volunteerism and community involvement. An estimated 400 volunteer hours, 80 gallons of paint, 50 sanding sponges, countless yard waste bags, work gloves and trimming tools will be used to help brighten up the community parks. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

Chrysler Canada RDC employee Dave Krueger paints a swing set near the 600 block of McEwan Avenue in Windsor, Ontario on June 26, 2013.  (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

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Our West End volunteer Steve Symons, left, and Chrysler Canada employee Dawn Bizaire paint over graffiti along a fence near the 600 block of MacEwan Avenue in Windsor, Ontario on June 26, 2013. Nearly a hundred Chrysler Canada office volunteers worked together with the United Way of Windsor/Essex County and OWE to brighten up several area parks in Windsor's west-end neighbourhoods. Employees will brave the heat to clean, trim, paint and weed these parks that are enjoyed by thousands of area residents and visitors. Chrysler Group's Community Action Day encourages volunteerism and community involvement. An estimated 400 volunteer hours, 80 gallons of paint, 50 sanding sponges, countless yard waste bags, work gloves and trimming tools will be used to help brighten up the community parks. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

Our West End volunteer Steve Symons, left, and Chrysler Canada employee Dawn Bizaire paint over graffiti along a fence near the 600 block of MacEwan Avenue in Windsor, Ontario on June 26, 2013.  (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

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