[1] The group aims to care for the Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall so that the parks can be fully enjoyed by current and future locals and visitors.

Henry Lee, a schoolteacher at the time, was asked to be the chairman of the new organization and held 30 people in his home for their first meeting.

[4] The project proposed building towers that reached over 400 feet in height along a street bordering the Boston Common and Public Garden.

The Friends of the Public Garden fought the project, citing that the towers would cast shadows over the parks, destroying plant life and deterring visitors.

The Friends test the trees in the parks, inject preventative treatments, and trap elm bark beetles, which spread the disease.

In the early 1980s, money was raised to restore the memorial in the Boston Common, as well as add the names of the soldiers in the 54th Regiment to the back of the statue.

The festivities involve a costumed parade around the Common and Public Garden, as well as face-painting, puppet shows, and other kid-friendly activities.