Fairfield residents gather for annual StreetSweeper Ball

FAIRFIELD - Helping to keep Fairfield's central park clean and well kempt is not just a matter of aesthetics but also of community pride.

Members of the community gathered Saturday to beautify the city's downtown area. With gardening gloves on and garbage bags in-hand, volunteers spent the morning weeding, sweeping and keeping the town's center an enjoyable place.

Paula Armstrong, co-chair of the Fairfield Beautification Commission, said the commission organizes the annual StreetSweeper Ball, which has been an ongoing event for at least five years.

This year, the town's Young Professionals group lended a helping hand to the cleanup effort.

'It improves the quality of life for everyone,” Armstrong said of why she feels the event is important.

Robin Golden, a member of the Young Professionals group, said she spends a lot of time on the square and was happy to contribute.

'I probably spend more time here than I do in my own yard. It builds pride in the community,” she said.

Tom Hryvniak, a member of the commission and a resident of the square, spent the morning sweeping mulch back into flower beds in the park. As a nearby resident of the area, he views the park like his front yard.

'I don't have a yard in front of my house so this is like my garden. It's a great community-building event and beautification in general [is important]. People come down, and there's plants and flowers and no trash anywhere,” Hryvniak said.

Aaron Russell, a volunteer from the Young Professionals group added beautification contributes to tourism and general town morale.

'A lot of people like to hang out and have lunch out here. It benefits several aspects of the town to want to keep it clean and make it look nice,” he said.

First-time volunteer Andy Cozzens said he usually enjoys riding his bike through the park and was excited at the opportunity to contribute something good to the community by volunteering.

'I just know it's good to help out when you can especially with everything going on right now. It's a way to connect with the community in a safe way,” he said.

Sothavy Shreck, a six-year volunteer of the StreetSweeper Ball, said the park is a popular place for her and her kids to eat and spend time together, which makes keeping the area nice even more important.

'I think that's why it's so popular with families. People can run around with their kids. It's nice, so we should keep it that way,” she said.