Volunteers spread out across Costa Mesa on Saturday to pick up trash, wash cars, donate blood and paint murals to celebrate “Love Costa Mesa Day.”
It was the fifth annual event for Costa Mesans to show their city they care. About 80 service projects were expected to draw more than 1,200 people to help, said Reina Cuthill of the nonprofit Trellis, which is based in Costa Mesa and organized the volunteer day.
Michelle Rieke helps plant flowers into hand decorated pots painted by Wilson Elementary School’s 6th grade class at the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022.(Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
Senator Dave Min speaks with local volunteers at the Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. According to Min, “We are giving away bike helmets and doing a training course on safe biking. And so this is a program they have been doing for a while, we are proud to partner with these folks and get this going here.” (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
Jim Shanman, Executive Director for Walk ’n Rollers, helps fix Luis Palmas (not pictured) bike at the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
Dorothy Wong, a volunteer with Walk ’n Rollers teaches kids how to ride bikes at the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. Jim Shanman, Executive Director of Walk ’n Rollers, shares, “We put them through a skills course that teaches them bike safety essentials like stopping at corners, walking across crosswalks, looking four ways before you cross a street, how to scan over your shoulder and use arm signals while you are biking. As well as yielding and hazards. We also have a creation station so kids can do traffic related art and crafts programs, and refreshments for all the kids as well.“ (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
Jim Shanman, Executive Director for Walk ’n Rollers, helps fix Luis Palmas (not pictured) bike at the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
(From left) Jennifer Bloomfield, Lisa Holloway, and Dan Deweerdt paint a new mural on the outside wall of a classroom at the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. Wilson Elementary school has a number of murals and other art collections around their campus. (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
Dorothy Wong, a volunteer with Walk ’n Rollers teaches kids how to ride bikes at the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. Jim Shanman, Executive Director of Walk ’n Rollers, shares, “We put them through a skills course that teaches them bike safety essentials like stopping at corners, walking across crosswalks, looking four ways before you cross a street, how to scan over your shoulder and use arm signals while you are biking. As well as yielding and hazards. We also have a creation station so kids can do traffic related art and crafts programs, and refreshments for all the kids as well.“ (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
A group of community members paint a new mural on the outside wall of a classroom at the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. Wilson Elementary school has a number of murals and other art collections around their campus.
A group of community members paint a new mural on the outside wall of a classroom at the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. Wilson Elementary school has a number of murals and other art collections around their campus. (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
Volunteers from Southern California Auto Club, Walk ’n Rollers, Orange County Health Care Agency, and Wilson Elementary school gathered together for the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
Will Deguzman, a volunteer with Walk ’n Rollers, helps fit a bike helmet for Camila Calderon at the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
Jami Paley, Community Facilitator for Wilson Elementary School, welcomes parents and their children to the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
Will Deguzman, a volunteer with Walk ’n Rollers, helps fit a bike helmet for Jose Martinez at the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
Volunteers from Southern California Auto Club, Walk ’n Rollers, Orange County Health Care Agency, and Wilson Elementary school gathered together for the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
Kids learn how to ride bikes at the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. The training courses were lead by volunteers for Walk ’n Rollers. Jim Shanman, Executive Director of Walk ’n Rollers, shares, “We put them through a skills course that teaches them bike safety essentials like stopping at corners, walking across crosswalks, looking four ways before you cross a street, how to scan over your shoulder and use arm signals while you are biking. As well as yielding and hazards. We also have a creation station so kids can do traffic related art and crafts programs, and refreshments for all the kids as well.“ (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
Volunteers from Southern California Auto Club, Walk ’n Rollers, Orange County Health Care Agency, and Wilson Elementary school gathered together for the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
A group of community members paint a new mural on the outside wall of a classroom at the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. Wilson Elementary school has a number of murals and other art collections around their campus. (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
Kids learn how to ride bikes at the Love Costa Mesa Day celebration held at Wilson Elementary School in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 14, 2022. The training courses were lead by volunteers for Walk ’n Rollers. Jim Shanman, Executive Director of Walk ’n Rollers, shares, “We put them through a skills course that teaches them bike safety essentials like stopping at corners, walking across crosswalks, looking four ways before you cross a street, how to scan over your shoulder and use arm signals while you are biking. As well as yielding and hazards. We also have a creation station so kids can do traffic related art and crafts programs, and refreshments for all the kids as well.“ (Photo by Daniel Pearson, Contributing Photographer)
Projects included a community car wash, street and neighborhood cleanups, painting a school mural and bringing portable skate ramps and other activities out for kids to enjoy.
Cuthill said volunteers find it rewarding to show some love to the place they call home.
“It’s an incredible feeling to know that you’re part of something bigger and you’re making a difference in the city, whether it is cleaning a park or making sack lunches for the homeless or packing birthday boxes for foster kids,” she said.
A few other Orange County communities have their own love-the-city days – Placentia and Brea held days in April – and Cuthill said Trellis is talking to people in Newport Beach and Tustin about launching events later this year.
