RED Day (Renew, Energize and Donate) is an initiative dedicated to celebrating Keller Williams Realty’s year-round commitment to improving their local communities. Each year, on the second Thursday in May, tens of thousands of associates from across the United States and Canada participate in a wide range of projects, devoting their time to renewing and energizing aspects of the neighborhoods in which they serve.

This year Mill River Park was the beneficiary of RED Day volunteer help. Forty volunteers from the Keller Williams Stamford office came to Mill River Park on May 12. They were assigned to two work shifts and given instructions by Vincent Piselli, usually called Vinny, Mill River Park Land Manager.  The agents planted hundreds of flowering plants that will bloom this summer and turn the park beds into a rainbow of color.

Kimberly Tapscott, who led the Keller Williams Volunteers, said, “This is our way of giving back to the community that provides our livelihood.”  She added, “When we’re working with clients, we can tell them that Mill River Park is a reason to move to Stamford.”

Len Schwartz, one of over 100 agents in the Stamford office, commented, “It’s wonderful to see Mill River Park transformed into a city gem.  We are so pleased Keller Williams can be a part of it.  We will be back.”

To see photos of 3 of the volunteers, go to our 2nd May Newsletter. You can also watch a video at It’s Relevant.

Vinny commented about the volunteers, “This is the second year Keller Williams has donated time to help beautify Mill River park.  It’s inspiring to see how much team spirit they bring with them each year and how much that energy allows them to accomplish.  After a busy and challenging spring, that kind of energy gives us the boost we need to push on into our long list of summer projects.”

Mill River Collaborative has a contract with the City of Stamford to create and maintain Mill River Park and Greenway. Mill River Collaborative staff manage the design and development of the park and maintain newly developed park facilities.

The organization is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit corporation that works to secure private resources to complement city funding for construction and maintenance. To date Mill River Collaborative has raised $5,000,000 from corporations, foundations and individuals.  Over 500 people are members of the Mill River Collaborative, providing annual financial support for project management, park maintenance and the Capital Campaign for Mill River Park.

During the past two years, Stamford’s Mill River has seen enormous changes.  Today the river flows freely in its natural channel.  There is a busy playground, built by 1500 volunteers in 2006.  There have been annual Playground Birthday Parties to celebrate the anniversary of this major building event. The Big Apple Circus was held in the Mill River Park in 2010 and will return on June 11th 2011. There will be a Circus Gala on the evening of June 10th.

“Half of Stamford’s 119,000 residents live within one mile of the Mill River,” says Arty Selkowitz, Mill River Collaborative Board Chair.  “And all of lower Fairfield County is within an easy drive or train ride,” he continues.  “The Mill River Collaborative is committed not only to building this exciting and inviting park and greenway, but also to assuring its maintenance and programming for Stamford and the surrounding communities.”

Today the benefits of city parks are widely recognized. Central Park is certainly the best known example in this part of the U.S., but Boston and Chicago, as well as cities closer in size to Stamford, such as Hartford, have built urban parks.  Parks make physical exercise easier and more accessible, and physical exercise makes people healthier. Property values are improved by nearby parks and open spaces.  Businesses are more attractive to employees when there is a park close at hand.  Stamford is overdue for its own urban park. 

Founded in 1983, Keller Williams Realty Inc. is the second-largest real estate franchise operation in the United States, with 701 offices and almost 80,000 associates in the United States and Canada. The company, which began franchising in 1990, has an agent-centric culture that emphasizes access to leading-edge education and promotes an economic model that rewards associates as stakeholders and partners. For more information, or to search for homes for sale visit Keller Williams Realty online.