Each Suwanee Youth Leaders class gets to complete a service project to leave their mark on the community. As a class, the SYLiens select, plan, and complete the project from start to finish.
The Cheers Project is in memory of Adam Edge, a former city employee and co-founder of the SYL program. Adam was the embodiment of positivity and community involvement, always ending his messages with his “Cheers!” signature. The Cheers Project honors Adam’s memory by providing an opportunity for SYL classes to give back to the community through a service project.
2022 Cheers Project – ‘Cheers Spot’
The inaugural Cheers Project is a ‘Cheers Spot’ hang out space, located on the lawn area behind City Hall. Dedicated to youth and the community, Adam always had time to “hang” with his SYLiens; the Class of 2022 envisioned a space for youth to continue to gather and spread positivity.
The Cheers Committee spent countless hours designing, planning, fundraising, and creating the Cheers Spot. The spot features plenty of seating and a mural featuring narwhals and the quote, “Be so amazing that people think you’re a myth.”
A special thank you to those who helped make this project possible:
American Casual Living - Alexandra Sorto
- The Brinson Family
- Caryl Shepherd
- Chandler, Britt & Jay, LLC
- City of Suwanee Public Works
- Freeland Painting
- Georgia Land Surveyor, LLC
- The Hilscher Family
- Huthmaker Fine Violins
- Jimmy & Caron Burnette
- Kaitlin Crumrine and Raj Jayasankar
- Kevin and Sara O’Brien
- Kiwanis Club of Suwanee
- Lee Tam CPA & Realtor
- Mark Brock
- NGHS Hearts and Crafts Club
- The Owen Family
- Reeves Young, LLC
- StillFire Brewery
- Suwanee Business Alliance
- Swing Tables, LLC
- Veugeler Design Group
2024 Cheers Project – Scavenger Hunt at PlayTown
The Cheers Committee for the SYL Class of 2024 spent much time creating riddles, designing clues, and creating a signage board for a scavenger hunt at PlayTown. One of the Cheers Project members, Charlotte Maguire, designed the entire board that is behind the entrance of PlayTown.
Elizabeth Tsiporkin and Charlotte Maguire, both on the Cheers Committee shared, “We started our planning the Cheers project while PlayTown was being rebuilt. With everyone having the experience of playing at the old park, we wanted to add something more to this newly renovated park. We aimed to create a fun activity that would guide kids around this playground and show them all the hard work all our artists and builders did.”
This project could not have been done without Suwanee Kiwanis who gave support and funding to make it possible.
Enjoy the scavenger hunt!
2025 - Suwanee Youth Leaders Build Community Through Camp Fun and a Garden of Gratitude
The 2025 Suwanee Youth Leaders (SYL) class left a meaningful mark on their community with two impactful service projects—one celebrating simple fun, the other honoring a beloved community leader.
One group of students brought retro fun to Town Center on Main with the debut of Suwanee Camp Day. This high-energy event featured sack races, hula hoops, face painting, and more—nostalgic activities that encouraged families to unplug and connect. The all-ages event captured the spirit of summer camp and created memorable community moments.
The second group created the “You Rock!” Garden along the trail at Sims Lake Park—a colorful tribute to the late Adam Edge, a champion of the SYL program. With over 700 hand-painted rocks, including many from Camp Day, the garden is filled with vibrant messages and creativity. Three whimsical narwhal tail sculptures honor Adam’s favorite quote: “Be so awesome people think you’re a myth.”
Together, these projects reflect the creativity and compassion of Suwanee’s youth, and how their leadership is helping build a more connected and joyful community.
2026 - Suwanee Youth Leaders Leave Their Mark at White Street Park
Members of the 2025/2026 program helped add even more creativity and personality to Suwanee’s public spaces through this year’s annual CHEERS! projects.
Student Alexis Choi explains the process, "As the new generation of Suwanee Youth Leaders, we knew we had novel ideas to share. We began our Cheers! community service project soon after our inauguration as the Class of 2026. Grand proposals sprung up for what we could implement around Suwanee. One member suggested a massive mural illustrating the pillars of Town Center on Main, wrapped with green ribbons to promote mental health awareness. Another idea was a recycling project that could take old glass and hang carved pieces on a tree. A group advocated for a mini golf course wholeheartedly. Did it have symbolism for our city’s sustainable artistic growth? Perhaps not, but there was no sky to limit us.
Nearly forty of the Cheers! Project members voted on our final course of action. We would make a mural. However, it soon became clear how long progress would take. Finding a suitable area to paint was difficult, and designs were being cycled through each meeting. With the generosity of the Harvest Farm board, the mural secured a spot in White Street’s Harvest Farm Park. We also picked up another project along the journey. One of our lead artists and designers, Yeji Im, helped create a public little library for the gardeners to use freely. The new wooden bookshelves located outside of the gardening plots offer books of all genres and age levels.
Inside of the barn, we embarked on a month-long painting process. The seasons would be depicted across four walls through their respective garden plants. The Georgia state tree, the southern live oak, connected each season. Additional motifs, such as the okra plant and the state bird, signified the beauty of southern nature and cuisine.
Through rain, cold, and sun, ten Cheers! members consistently worked to improve the mural throughout April. Over one hundred hours were dedicated to the painting process, and the monumental mural was completed in three weeks. Every hour was fueled with the encouragement of the gardeners and stray cats.
The Suwanee Youth Leaders class of 2026 was able to create a long-lasting project that makes our city a little more colorful. We hope that our contributions will leave a lasting mark on the creative and youth-empowering community that Suwanee fosters."
Once the group began spending time at the farm and connecting with the gardeners and visitors who use the space, another idea naturally grew from the experience. In addition to the mural, Youth Leader Ansh Verma led the creation and installation of a Little Free Library at the park.