EAST CHICAGO--A program that has enough funding to plant over 3,000 trees throughout Northwest Indiana kicked off Wednesday morning in a popular park in East Chicago. Volunteers gathered in Washington Park from 10 a.m. until noon with a goal of planting 50 trees as part of the CommuniTree Program. Mayor Anthony Copeland said in a press release:
“We are thankful and honored to be a Tree City. We have made a solid investment in our park system and this compliments our plan to beautify our city. Being surrounded by industry, it is important to create viable green space. A tree we plant today can provide cleaner air, shade and comfort for generations to come."
To wrap up the planting session, volunteers gathered together to plant a bur oak tree in honor of former president Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. The programs funding comes from a public-private partnership of local, state, and federal government agencies with support from local corporate sponsors and not-for-profit organizations.