ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Rochester community and employees from Genesee Brewery came together for an Earth Day initiative to clean up and prepare Highland Park for the upcoming Rochester Lilac Festival.

With the festival set to dazzle thousands from May 10 through May 19, the focus was on getting the park in prime condition to showcase the beauty of its famed lilacs. Volunteers, including those from the Highland Park Conservancy, engaged in tasks like litter removal, leaf clearance, and general maintenance, ensuring the park would be at its best for the busy spring and summer seasons.

Tanner Jubenville, an employee at Genesee Brewery, shared the company’s commitment to environmental stewardship, emphasizing a triple-bottom-line philosophy that focuses on people, the planet, and then profit. This philosophy drives the brewery to organize several large-scale volunteer activities annually, allowing employees to participate in community and environmental service, with paid time off to support their engagement.

Jubenville highlighted the brewery’s efforts towards reducing waste and carbon footprint, aiming to improve the world by cleaning up the environment and contributing positively to the communities where they live and work. The hope is to encourage others to make a difference, however small, by taking action in their local parks or waterways, ultimately creating a greener, safer space for everyone.

As the Rochester Lilac Festival approaches, the story of community engagement serves as a reminder of the collective effort needed to preserve and enhance our natural environments. It’s an invitation for others to contribute to their communities, whether by participating in local cleanup efforts or supporting initiatives aimed at environmental sustainability.

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