Every year, teams of volunteers scatter across Irondequoit to help beautify the parks in a clean-up project called Invigorate Irondequoit.

“The town starts to get greener, and we want to be a part of that," said Irondequoit Town Supervisor Dave Seeley. "As people start to be outside more and enjoy our parks, this helps ensure our parks are ready and all our public amenities are ready for the population.”

This year it drew in more than 150 volunteers, but there’s one man who has volunteered with his company since the event started six years ago.

“He’s about as perfect a model citizen as you can get," Seeley said. "Not only does he run an important business to us and has hundreds of customers in town, he supports so many initiatives in town, this being one of them.”

Even this year, despite losing everything in a massive fire at his business just Friday morning.

“We’ve had a total loss of three barns, all our office space, all of our equipment," said Irondequoit Lawn and Landscape owner Jeff Riesenberger. "A dozen riders, twenty leaf blowers, thirty trimmers, hand tools, everything.”

Riesenberger has owned Irondequoit Lawn and Landscape for 30 years, and says starting over will be difficult.

“You’re starting from scratch again," Riesenberger said. "But the key thing is we’re going to reinvent ourselves, and at least we know the playbook.”

But Saturday morning his focus remained on the community.

“This is my therapy. I’m not sitting on the couch in front of a therapist, I’m out here doing what I do and getting my hands dirty again,” Riesenberger said.

Which is why residents say he is so respected.

“Jeff is amazing. A long-time resident," said Brian Charles of Irondequoit. "And to come out a day after having a devastating, life changing, business changing fire, just shows his commitment to the community and everyone around here.”

And perhaps why he felt so much love.

“Emails, texts, and I literally got a thousand phone calls yesterday," Riesenberger said. "That’s the reward for all the years of hardwork is the support you get from people. You lost this bucket, but you got this bucket. It’s a wonderful thing, I’m very, very fortunate.”