On Sept. 21 members of the community gathered for the dedication of two pedestrian bridges in Jenkins Creek Park.

The larger bridge is named the George Pearson Bridge and the smaller pedestrian bridge is the Susan Pearson Bridge.

The decision to name the two bridges after the Pearsons was passed in a resolution by the Covington City Council, Parks and Recreation Director Ethan Newton said.

The naming came in, “honor for the great service they have provided to the Covington community,” Newton said in an email.

He added, the Pearsons began cleaning up the area during an Earth Day event in 2010.

“And (they) have not stopped making improvements to the park since,” Newton said.

Some of the improvements included removing invasive plants, mowing, collecting litter, removing graffiti, planting trees and a number of other tasks to help keep the park in shape.

Besides helping with the Jenkins Creek Park, Newton said they also volunteer at Covington Days and Kidsfest.

The two bridges that are named after George and Susan Pearson have been in place for less than a year.

In the winter of 2010, the year the Pearsons began cleaning up at the park, the larger pedestrian bridge collapsed due to a storm.

And in November of 2015, the replacement bridges were completed by WHH Nisqually Federal Services. Construction began in July 2015.

Because the collapse was unexpected, thanks to Mother Nature, the city did not have half-a-million in order to replace it, Karla Slate said, communications and marketing manager for the city Covington.

The city applied for a number of grants over the course of three years, she added. The city was able to get $418,000 from King County to help pay for the project.

Slate said the grant the city received “encompassed more improvements than just replacing the bridge.” She added, the boardwalk was also replaced, trails were widened and also paved to make them more accessible.