The first ever Imagination Station volunteer work day was held at the popular downtown playground on Saturday.

Brighton resident Renee Pettengill organized work days throughout the summer, for cleaning and maintenance, as well as initiated the help of several local business owners to provide incentives for volunteers.

Workdays are scheduled for the second and fourth Saturday of the month, through October.

Volunteers will be presented with a colored volunteer card - which differs depending on the day - that downtown merchants will honor by providing special discounts on food and merchandise.

Piet Lindhout, owner of Lindhout Associates - a local architectural firm, said the biweekly work days are important to keep the Imagination Station clean and safe for kids.

Lindhout directed volunteers how to fluff and mulch the playground.

"The bottom surface needs to be as soft as possible, and it gets compacted and hardens over time with play and rain," Lindhout said. "So by fluffing it up, we just make it a little safer and we get to clean up any trash that gets put into it when its being used by the kids and parents."

The next volunteer work day is April 14. For more information about volunteering or to sign up to volunteer, visit Brighton Imagination Station on Facebook.