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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Volunteers paint walls at Bluff Park Elementary.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
The walls of Bluff Park Elementary receive a fresh coat of paint.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Board of Education President Derrick Murphy joined volunteers for the Hoover City Dad Brigade event at Bluff Park Elementary.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Fathers painted walls and worked on several other projects at Bluff Park Elementary on Aug. 1.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Volunteers carry supplies at Bluff Park Elementary for Hoover City Dad Brigade projects.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Green Valley Elementary Principal Jeff Singer helps spread pine straw outside his school.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Volunteers spruce up the landscaping at Green Valley Elementary.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Pressure washing sidewalks was among several projects at Green Valley Elementary.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Fathers improve a sidewalk awning at Green Valley Elementary.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Tyler Williams and Ty Robinson spray for wasps on the Green Valley playground.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Father Gene Crowley repaints a door at Green Valley Elementary.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Riverchase parents prepare new landscaping for the elementary school.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Volunteers at Riverchase Elementary improve the outdoor classroom.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Volunteer Harland Banks adds a new chalkboard to the Riverchase Elementary Outdoor Classroom.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Riverchase Elementary volunteer Greg Campbell paints a wall as part of Hoover City Dad Brigade.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Volunteer Rob Harris builds a bench for Riverchase Elementary.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Parent Steven Casey caulks a window at Riverchase Elementary.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Fathers work on outdoor improvement projects at Rocky Ridge Elementary.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Volunteers paint a handrail inside Rocky Ridge Elementary.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Rocky Ridge Assistant Principal Kara Chism, Principal Dilhani Uswatte and bookkeeper Patricia Watson joined the Hoover City Dad Brigade in their projects on Aug. 1.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Rocky Ridge parent Greg Werchanowskyj repaints a wall at the school.
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Ron Burkett
Hoover City Dad Brigade
Volunteer Jason Zajac pressure washes a sidewalk at Rocky Ridge Elementary.
Early Saturday morning, nearly 400 men gathered at the Riverchase Home Depot for the first Hoover City Dad Brigade event. They worked until 1 p.m. on projects to improve every Hoover elementary school before students return to the classroom.
Projects at the various schools included pressure washing sidewalks, painting, planting flowers, building picnic tables and bookshelves, picking up trash, sanitizing playgrounds and various repairs. Riverchase Elementary had an additional project to build a board for its outdoor classroom.
"This project provides the opportunity for parental involvement in a new and innovative way. Additionally, RES has the support of former students and community members who do not have children at RES for this day. Everyone is pitching in to get this school year started," Riverchase Principal Alice Turney said.
Board of Education President Derrick Murphy, who started Hoover City Dad Brigade, said around 70 of the volunteers on Saturday were students. The event was a chance for fathers and young men involved to improve their local schools and get to know one another.
"The whole idea was to unite our entire city school system," Murphy said the morning of the Dad Brigade event. "I'm just excited that our school system came together for this large event. It's a remarkable thing that represents the community."
Rocky Ridge Elementary Principal Dilhani Uswatte was on hand for the projects at her school.
"The work they have done is exceptional. I'm so excited for our children to see how beautiful our school looks," Uswatte said.
"It's a great opportunity for the dads to get involved with the school system, to help out and volunteer their time to do the cleanup projects that teachers need and principals want to help out," agreed Steven Casey, one of the volunteers at Riverchase Elementary.
Murphy said he plans to recognize all the volunteers at the September Board of Education meeting, and more Dad Brigade events will happen in the future.
