Fundraiser is Putting a Smile Back in Mt. Sinai Park

If your daily travels have ever taken you to in Mt. Sinai or even if you've just driven by, at some point or another you’ve been greeted by the smiley face cut into the grass or made up of thousands of little flowers on the knoll facing Route 25A.

This year, volunteers are holding a fundraiser to bring the flowery smiley face back to the park.

According to Fred Drewes, chairman of Heritage Park's Farm Committee, back in the fall of 2004 volunteers planted 7,500 crocus that formed the first blooming smiley face. Over the the next two years the crocus came back.

“The crocus bulbs started to weaken and the smiley started to fade,” said Drewes but the workers continued the tradition by mowing a grass sculpture of a smiley face into the hillside.

Volunteers at the Heritage Trust want to plant 3,500 daffodils on Oct. 6 so the 50-foot wide blooming face will appear once again next spring.

"Five varieties of daffodils will be planted on the north end of Heritage Park's play knoll," said Drewes. "The eyes, mouth and circle of the head will be daffodils that once planted will thicken."

He said that after the blooms fade the plan is to allow the grass in the eyes, mouth and head to grow.

To raise money to buy the 3,500 bulbs and other materials needed for the project, volunteers will be collecting $15 donations at a table near the playground. In return, donors will get a gift of a smiley face t-shirt to commemorate the event.

The fundraiser began this Labor Day. According to Drewes, the first day of the event went well and visitors "expressed their appreciation for the volunteers efforts to plant and maintain interesting and attractive flower beds."

They will continue collecting donations in Heritage Park on afternoons and weekends throughout September. Donation will also be accepted at the Heritage Center, Agway and Kunz and Ging's nurseries where shirts will also be available.

"Volunteers of the Heritage Trust appreciate the communities support and look forward to the blooming smiley face next spring," said Drewes.

If you have any questions, email the Heritage Trust at ave.america2010@verizon.net or call (631) 509-0882 for specific sale times in September.

Correction: An earlier version of this article gave incorrect information. The Heritage Trust will not be selling t-shirts. They are asking for a donations of $15 and giving the t-shirts as gifts for donor support.