PORT ORCHARD — Area volunteers got out their gardening tools and work gloves April 27 to help tidy up civic areas in Port Orchard as part of the annual Community Service Day.

The goal of the City of Port Orchard event is to beautify the community by sprucing city parks and public spaces. Last year, volunteers took cold, rainy weather in stride as they helped spread bark, soil, playground chips and cleaned up the city’s shoreline.

Helping out this year was a large contingent of Kitsap Bank employees, who transformed portions of Etta Turner Park, next to the waterfront in Port Orchard..

Other areas receiving needed attention were beach areas from Annapolis to Rockwell Park, where volunteers moved small rocks; two South Kitsap school sites, including Cedar Heights Middle School, where helpers spread bark; Van Zee Park, which received 100 yards of topsoil that was spread over the field; and McCormick Village Park, where helpers took part in maintaining the trail, removed weeds, spread wood chips at the dog park and removed rocks from the grass area.

Young helpers clear out brush at McCormick Village Park during Community Service Day on April 27. (Bob Smith | Kitsap Daily News)