U.S. Sugar helps dedicate new benches at Clewiston’s Harlem Community Tree Park

U.S. Sugar joined several community leaders this week to dedicate new benches at Harlem Community Tree Park.

The park is located near U.S. Sugar’s Clewiston factory. The organization helped donate funds to commission the new benches, which were designed by Clewiston High School’s Building Trades and Construction Design Technology class.

“This project has brought together our students, our pastors and our community leaders to help enhance a local park with a place for our neighbors to gather,” said Brannan Thomas, U.S. Sugar’s community relations manager

“Building strong communities and promoting unity is part of who we are, and we were proud to work with our community partners to help make this project a reality.”

Cecil Harris, who teaches the high school students who made the benches, said the project was a learning opportunity.

“Our students could not be more thrilled to take on a project that will provide this local park with benches that will last for many years to come,” Harris said. “We appreciate the support from U.S. Sugar and the opportunity to provide our students with a lesson on the importance of community involvement.”

Harlem Community Tree Park is used for festivals and other local events. The new benches feature plaques from local organizations that helped sponsor the projects. Those organizations include churches and sorority chapters, among others.

“As one of the local churches with our own bench, we want to show our appreciation to U.S. Sugar for helping to make this community-wide project possible,” said Gary McNealy, pastor of Greater Friendship Baptist Church in Harlem.

“Our community is everything, and our church is proud to have a bench bearing our name in this park.”

U.S. Sugar is a massive agricultural company based in Clewiston. The company is the largest sugar producer in the U.S. The new charity project is just one of several spearheaded by the company. Some plaintiffs have recently filed complaints regarding sugar farmers’ crop burning practices, though U.S. Sugar is seeking to have suits dismissed.