The dew was still clinging to the grass early Saturday morning when about 20 members of the Mu Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority assembled at Mission Park off Mission 66 and prepared to give it a spring-cleaning.

“Alpha Kappa Alpha International is a national service sorority,” said Trena Warren, the sorority’s first vice president. “What we’re doing is part of the AKA 1908 Playground Project — a national program sponsored by the sorority to restore, refresh and renew 1,908 existing community and school playgrounds and outdoor areas across the country. We have adopted this park to restore, refresh and rejuvenate it.”

She said Mission Park was chosen because the chapter does most of its work in the community surrounding the park.

“We do our Reading Is Fundamental program at the housing authority,” she said. “We meet at Greater Grove Baptist Church just down the street, and we do Reading Is Fundamental at Kiddie City Child Care. This is part of our community, so we’re giving back.”

The group’s activities Saturday included painting park benches, painting the basketball goals and cleaning the park’s playground equipment.

Warren said the group plans to make maintaining the park a long-term project, adding the park project was headed by Zelmarine Murphy and Pamela Freeman.

North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield said Alpha Kappa Alpha’s project ties in with the city’s plans to upgrade and renovate the city’s community and recreational parks

“Last week, Alderman (Willis) Thompson and I went to each park in the city and walked the grounds,” he said. “We’re developing a long-range plan to go in and do work at each park. What these ladies are doing is a blessing for this park.”

Sammie Rainey, city building maintenance supervisor, called the sorority’s project “a great thing for them to come out and do this.”

“These ladies are role models for young girls,” he said. “Our young women need more role models like them. They have all worked hard and gotten college degrees.

“The real heroes are these ladies and the carpenters and plumbers who do this all the time. Kids today make athletes and rap singers role models, but they got to where they are by good fortune. These other people did it by getting an education and working hard. They are the people our young people should look at.”