National Grid celebrated Earth Day at the Riverhead LIRR train station and Riverhead Salvation Army with 60 employee volunteers who gave the properties a much-needed refresh. Volunteers planted over 200 plants and three trees at the train station and Salvation Army. They also donated two picnic tables with umbrellas and two elevated planters filled with a fragrant herb garden. Volunteers picked up litter, cleared brush, spread mulch and 20 bags of decorative landscaping stones.

The Long Island Railroad Station is an area of Riverhead that needed revitalization. National Grid partnered with the Town of Riverhead, the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce, MTA Suffolk County Soil & Water, Gabrielsen Farms and DeLea Sod Farms for the cleanup event.

“We live here, we work here, and we’re proud to give back to the communities we serve,” said Brian Sapp, director of external affairs, National Grid. “We’re grateful to be able to volunteer here alongside the Riverhead community. Over the last few years, we’ve completed several community-based projects, donated several hundred Thanksgiving meals, and worked with the anti-litter committee at Iron Pier - installing a recycling fish, which is also a public art installation. We remain committed to maintaining a strong presence in support of the town.”

 National Grid was joined by Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard, Suffolk County Legislator Catherine Stark, Riverhead Council Member Bob Kern, Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio, and Executive Director of the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce Liz O’Shaughnessy who commended the National Grid team for coordinating with several agencies to bring this project to fruition. Assemblywoman Giglio presented National Grid with a NYS Assembly citation thanking the volunteers. 

This initiative reflects the strength of our community spirit and the power of partnership,” said Legislator Catherine Stark. “I want to thank National Grid for organizing this meaningful event and extend my sincere gratitude to the many volunteers whose dedication made this beautification project possible. Together, we are building a cleaner, greener, and more vibrant Riverhead.”

“I really appreciate the work and the care that you put in the communities on Long Island. National Grid has been a fantastic partner with the Town of Riverhead over the years with the different endeavors they’ve taken on. This is possibly one of my favorites,” said Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard. “This has been an area that needed love and care, and you guys are the real heroes for coming down here, volunteering your time and doing this.”

"It was heartwarming to see National Grid volunteers revitalize the train station area of downtown Riverhead and the Salvation Army center. While their work was done in one day, their impact will last far longer and fill a void of greenery and beautification that was sorely needed on this Earth Day," said Eric Alexander, director, Vision Long Island/Founder, LI Main Street Alliance. 

“Working on this project has been one of the highlights of my tenure at the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce,” said Liz O’Shaughnessy, executive director of the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce. “It was truly a pleasure to see 60 plus National Grid employee volunteers working so hard and with such great attitudes to transform our beautiful historic train station. Their investment of materials and labor is truly appreciated, and we are very grateful.”

National Grid is committed to the communities they serve. In addition to Riverhead, National Grid Ventures, which invests in large scale clean energy infrastructure, had volunteers beautifying Landgraf Park in Island Park. About 50 members of the National Grid Ventures team gathered to refurbish and revitalize the public park and playground. In addition to cleaning the park, employees repaired, repainted and restored the public seating areas, pergolas and tables, ensuring families have clean and welcoming spaces to gather and enjoy the Long Island waterfront.

National Grid is supporting the people and communities they serve across New York with sustainability programs, neighborhood development projects, grants and more.

As outdoor projects are starting, National Grid urges the public to Call Before You Dig, NY811 (by dialing 811) in order to prevent serious personal injury, property damage and service interruptions caused by accidentally digging into electric, gas, telephone, water, sewer or cable facilities. It’s not only the safe thing to do, it’s the law.

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy future — transforming our networks with more reliable and resilient energy solutions to meet state climate goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.