GOSHEN, Ind. — Seventy-five IU Health Goshen Hospital Colleagues will be volunteering their time during the annual Day of Service this Friday, May 30.

In a partnership with the Goshen Parks and Recreation Department, colleagues will be volunteering on the grounds around Goshen’s Reith Interpretive Center, assisting with duties such as weeding, planting and mulching and performing trail clean-up. Colleagues will construct a wood paved trail from outside the Reith Interpretive Center to the entrance of the Classified Forest. Additionally, colleagues will be planting flowerpots for the parks department around the IU Health Goshen Hospital Emergency Department area.

“The IU Health Goshen Day of Community Service is about investing in our community to improve the health of our fellow Hoosiers,” stated Randy Christophel, CEO and president of IU Health Goshen. “Our local parks and trails are a source of pride in the Goshen community, and as a part of that community, IU Health Goshen Colleagues want to play an active part in beautifying these areas.”

Across the state, nearly 2,000 IU Health team members, including physicians, nurses and other care providers, will spread to improve parks and neighborhoods in their communities. In all, team members will contribute more than 6,000 hours of time to provide improvements and new playground equipment at 19 parks and two schools in order to encourage more Hoosiers to get out and get active. Indiana is the 8th most obese state in the nation, and increasing access of places to get physical activity was one of the top needs raised by community members.