Westchester County officials and volunteers kicked off Pitch In For Parks at Ridge Road Park this morning.

The annual program, which takes place each April, aims to prepare parks for the upcoming spring and summer seasons.

Originating in the 1980s, it has attracted over 800 volunteers from across Westchester County. Volunteers participate in various activities such as trash cleanup, trail and shoreline clearing, painting, and restoring wildlife habitats.

"We have volunteers through the Parks Foundation that vote out all through the year and really help the County Parks Department to do things that the county may not have in their budget. It's a huge system, so the volunteer program had really supplemented what the parks employees are able to do on a day-to-day basis." says Westchester Parks Foundation Board of Trustees chair Seth Mandelbaum.

This year's Pitch In For Parks initiative runs until April 22.