Y2V - Illinois - Rock Island County Forest Preserve

We would love to say that we timed the weather perfectly but the best we can do so far is .... almost! We're two days in and as always, everyone has jumped straight in and started working. That wind though! It fired up right on time on Day 1 , has given us 20mph winds with gusts up to 35 for two days with temps in the 40s-50s, and, yep, we're pretty much over it! But hey, check out the progress. Here's what we're working on:

• We're building a pair of new dugouts at their country ballpark. Concrete was poured, the fence was up, and the crew is building the rest out including a roof and surrounding knee wall.

• We sent a crew into the ball field public restroom. Ugh. Why some keep coming back, we have no idea. The goal was to blank off a broken toilet, repair a dividing wall, give it a fresh coat of paint, and replace the entry way privacy wall. Once everyone was used to the persistent smell of pee, the work started in earnest and work is unsurprisingly moving quickly! What a great team!

• Not to be outdone, we sent another crew over to the Illinewek Campground pavillion which is situated spectacularly along the banks of the Mississippi and unfortunately where the full fetch of the wind is at its maximum. With no trees to block them and with the wind picking up all that cool air off of the white-capped river, this crew has endured something just short of a polar vortex while they replace rotting fascia boards and prep the pavilion for a full cleaning and painting. Unsung heroes at the park without question.

• To make sure the pavilion team wasn't alone, we sent our final crew in nearby to spread mulch at the campground playground and tighten up the jungle gym. Today, we got them closer to the river to pull a 200-300' line of posts and cable that had fallen into disrepair.

It's safe to say our first couple of days were challenging, but this awesome Y2V crew has taken it in stride and in true fashion has kept us and the park staff hopping with supply requests and progress. We love this crew!! Here are some great photos today from all the work!