MIAMI -- Shovels, paint brushes and power tools were on hand as hundreds of kids, students and local community members came together to beautify Miami's Charles Hadley Park as part of MLB's All-Star Greening volunteer event on Friday.
The event -- one of many All-Star Legacy projects taking place throughout the week -- refurbished the surrounding area near the park's newly renovated baseball field, which will be unveiled and dedicated Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET
Volunteers from MLB's Green Teams, HandsOn Miami, All-Star Youth Classic players, Marlins Ayudan blue shirts, Chevrolet employees and members of the local community built benches and picnic tables, painted new lines in the parking lot and placed new mulch and flowers.
"I think it really shows how important it is for people to come together for any type of purpose and to just work toward a common goal," MLB vice president of social responsibility Melanie LeGrande said. "And that is beautifying this park and making it great for the citizens here."
MLB Charities, the Marlins and the Marlins Foundation have donated approximately $5 million, a significant portion of which has gone toward the All-Star Legacy initiative.
Miami mayor Tomás Pedro Regalado stopped by and talked about the importance of such initiatives, especially in Charles Hadley Park's nearby Liberty City community.
"When the players go home, when all the sports commentators have said all they had to say," Regalado said, "the children of Liberty City and the residents of Liberty City will have years of happiness because of you."
Miami commissioner Francis Suarez also came out to thank the volunteers for their time.
"The truth is when you all leave here today, you're not only leaving the park in a better fashion than when you found it, but you are creating something that our children and this community are going to be able to enjoy day after day for years to come," Suarez said.
The Greening event is part of MLB's ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship. MLB has ensured that the 88th Midsummer Classic and 2017 All-Star Week will incorporate environmentally friendly features and activities that include donating untouched food to local shelters and organizations and showcasing a Green Glove Award at MLB All-Star FanFest, which is given to the MLB club with the league's best yearly recycling rate.
On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, tune in to the 2017 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2017 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 88th All-Star Game, in Miami, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.