Before retiring in 2019, city employee Ken Sek put finishing touches on brackets he welded for the city’s hanging baskets.

This spring marks the sixth consecutive year of the hanging flower basket program initiated by Revitalize Dunkirk to decorate the city’s downtown. Paid for through the fundraising efforts of the organization’s Beautification Committee, 55 colorfully planted baskets will once again grace Central Avenue from Lake Shore Boulevard to Sixth Street, as well as much of Fourth Street from Washington Avenue to Deer Street.

Started in 2015 with a $1500 grant from the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation, the project’s continued success is due to the generosity of over 125 donors since then. These include clubs, businesses and churches, as well as numerous individuals, many of whom do not even live in Dunkirk but have a connection to the community. This on-going support has allowed the project to almost triple in size from the original 20 baskets and covers annually recurring greenhouse expenses.

Dunkirk city workers play key roles, as well, providing all the labor necessary for transporting the baskets to and from the greenhouse for planting and hanging, watering the flowers daily throughout the growing season, and taking down and storing the baskets over the winter.

Revitalize Dunkirk especially wishes to recognize and thank retired city maintenance mechanic, Kenneth Sek, for creating all the welded steel brackets used in the project. Not only had he fabricated the city’s existing stock of brackets used in the project’s first four years, but he also made 22 new, matching ones needed for the 22 additional baskets purchased and donated to the city in 2019.

Revitalize Dunkirk wishes to thank the many city officials and employees, as well as the host of all-important donors — individuals, businesses, clubs and organizations–without whom this project would be impossible.

Anyone wishing to donate to this and other Revitalization Dunkirk beautification projects — which include planting trees and maintaining various flower gardens on public property — can do so by mailing a check made out to Revitalize Dunkirk, Inc., P.O. Box 107, Dunkirk, NY 14048.

Revitalize Dunkirk, Inc., is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization with a mission of advocating for improved urban living by enhancing the city’s physical infrastructure, reinvigorating commerce, and boosting community pride and vision.

The organization promotes projects to beautify the community through public landscaping and art, enhanced streetscapes, and community involvement, with a goal of increasing business, tourism and residential opportunities.

All members of the community with similar concerns are welcome and encouraged to attend Revitalize Dunkirk’s general meetings on the third Thursday of each month except December, 6:30 p.m., at the Fredonia Technology Incubator, 214 Central Ave., Dunkirk. For more information visit us on Facebook or at: www.revitalizedunkirk.com.