Local Altrusans donate a picnic table and benches to Bedford City Parks

BEDFORD – These Altrusans took the opportunity to dedicate the picnic table at the Thornton Park playground and to recognize the four red and black benches with three being placed at the driving range at Otis Park and one placed at Garden Park on Fifth Street.

The three benches placed at the driving range, at the request of the public, will have a plaque placed on them recognizing deceased Altrusan, Otis Park member and avid golfer, Mary Ann Roach.  

The table and benches were created by members of Altrusan’s Caps to Benches project. Members have been actively placing benches and tables at several Lawrence County locations in recent years. 

Altrusa collects many different types of plastic caps to be processed by Green Tree Plastics in Evansville, Indiana.  Since the requirements for accepting caps is very stringent, the caps were stored by Courtney Miscuf at her dental office, with the Boy Scout troop led by her husband, Michael. The scouts helped to sort, weigh, and bag the caps. 

Just to put it into perspective, the pictured table required 550 pounds of caps, and the six-foot benches required 200 pounds of plastic caps.

The caps are then delivered by truck and trailer to Evansville for processing.  If one cap in a bag is not usable, Green Tree will toss the entire bag.  Green Tree Plastics will not accept metal caps, nor plastic caps with paper or glue under the lids.  They do accept soda and drink bottle caps or detergent caps. Coffee can-type plastic lids no larger than eight inches are also not accepted. 

The Parks Department paid the processing fee.

This is a very popular community project with several requests for the products at many schools and park locations. 

The  Bedford Park Department will also allow for caps to be dropped off at the park office at Thornton Pool for future projects.

Altrusa is always looking for new members that are interested in joining their talents with a group of community-conscious people.  They may contact Altrusa President and Membership Committee Chair Norma Hoffman or Co-Committe Chairs Kay Weldon or Becky Bailey.