Irrigation Volunteers Join Arlington Cemetery Renewal

Irrigation Association volunteers installed an irrigation system at Arlington National Cemetery July 24 as part of a massive volunteer effort to beautify the grounds of the nation's most hallowed burial ground for fallen military.

Bob Dobson, a member of the Irrigation Association board of directors and president of Middletown Sprinkler Co., led the irrigation effort, directing 23 volunteers who installed six irrigation zones along a path to visitor parking.

The effort was part of the Professional Landcare Network's massive "Renewal & Remembrance" volunteer effort. PLANET President John Gibson valued the total effort for the day at over $200,000, and said the volunteers have donated $1 million in manpower, equipment and plant material over the last 10 years.

Dobson, an Army veteran, says Arlington National Cemetery has special importance to all Americans, but especially to the veterans like himself and other volunteers with military service.

Irrigation volunteers with military service include Paul Hill, co-owner of Irrigation Services Inc., Front Royal, Va., a Navy veteran, and Ray Green, of Atlantic Lawn Irrigation, Milford, N.H., Coast Guard.

Other volunteers included Irrigation Services Inc. co-owner Geoff Mack and seven ISI employees; John Vandercruyssen and Gerry Schmidt of John Deere Landscapes; Marvin Ceron of Chapel Valley Landscape Co. in Sterling, Va.; Lorne and Anna Haveruk, DH Water Management Services Inc., in Toronto; Marshall Owings of Sposato Irrigation; Tyler Green of Atlantic Lawn Irrigation, and Andy Smith of the Irrigation Association.

Hunter Industries, John Deere Landscapes, Lasco, Bisco, Vermeer, Treegator and Lawn and Garden Yellow Pages donated equipment.