DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines park is set to get a facelift. Burke Park at 601 East University Avenue will undergo a one-day transformation Thursday.

It’s a long list of improvements, but volunteers think they can pull it all off. The to-do list includes putting in a new playground, benches, picnic tables, and bike racks. Volunteers will also plant new trees and renovate the sand volleyball courts.

The park renovation is part of Meredith Corporation’s annual partnership with Rebuilding Together Greater Des Moines, a local non-profit committed to the revitalization of metropolitan neighborhoods. Over 150 Meredith volunteers partnered with 85 Rebuilding Together volunteers to renovate the park, clear a nearby trail, stock food pantries at the nearby Carver Elementary and Hiatt Middle Schools, as well as fix up five homes in the Captiol Park neighborhood. Meredith CEO Steve Lacey says the company’s project has brought it back to the Capitol Park neighborhood for the past several years – and it’s the much-needed volunteer work done here that’s helped turn the community around.

“We have worked in this part of town several years now, and we really think that it’s on the upswing; beautiful school that’s here, a lot of good community activity,” he said. “So, we’re just trying to add to the momentum. Things are really moving in the right direction in this part of town.”

Meredith Corporation covered all equipment costs for the day of service, including the new playground equipment and sand used to fill the previously-empty sand volleyball court at Burke Park.