Dear friend of the parks,
Warm greetings from Friends of the Parks as a cold and dark season descends upon us.
Despite the many reasons 2020 has given us to worry and fret, we are comforted and encouraged by the way so many Chicagoans are experiencing a renewed appreciation of parks as key to our physical and mental health. And it’s the investment of people like you over the years that have helped ensure that our parks are here for all of us at times like these when we need them the most.
Many of you joined us this year in sharing #isolationinspiration pictures and stories of how parks have helped you manage. Others contributed to robust conversations at our virtual Parks as Democracy? Conference about how current events interact with the concept of parks as democratic spaces.
Meanwhile, the financial support of so many members and friends of the parks has enabled us to keep on keeping on during difficult circumstances. Here's a snapshot of a few projects your support has facilitated during 2020:
Many friends of the parks responded to our pivot to a Digital Earth Day as part of the global 50th anniversary of Earth Day. You took us up on an invitation to on-line advocacy against the CDF, thus triggering membership via our new approach which allows for an advocacy action, a monetary gift, or both as a way to become a member of friends of the parks.
And a number of you joined us for our virtual Happy Anniversary Happy Hour kick-off of our year-long 45thanniversary celebration on July 24, marking 45 years from the date of Friends of the Parks’ incorporation as a non-profit. We were joined at that event by many long-time friends from the early days of the organization, not the least of whom was co-founder Victoria Ranney who added to her reminiscence with us an offer of some copies of her book “Olmsted in Chicago.”
So along with a number of new approaches to our 2021 Early Bird Membership Drive, this year we offer Vicky’s book to you as a special 45th anniversary gift for those make a monetary contribution of $45 or more before the end of the year to help us go into 2021 strong. (We provided signed copies to those who purchased tickets to our virtual Luncheon; these copies won’t have a signature.)
See the list below for more details on the 45th anniversary membership program and join us today!
Meanwhile, may your home be filled with light and love, and may Chicago’s parks be of respite, restoration, and resilience to you and yours this season.
In solidarity,
Juanita Irizarry
Executive Director
In an effort to better include those who may not be able to afford the traditional membership fee, as part our 45thanniversary celebration we are instituting new practices that invite more people into membership based on acts on behalf of our parks in collaboration with FOTP and/or via any donation of $45 or more.
For Early Bird members donating $45 on-line or postmarked by 12.31.20
Warm greetings from Friends of the Parks as a cold and dark season descends upon us.
Despite the many reasons 2020 has given us to worry and fret, we are comforted and encouraged by the way so many Chicagoans are experiencing a renewed appreciation of parks as key to our physical and mental health. And it’s the investment of people like you over the years that have helped ensure that our parks are here for all of us at times like these when we need them the most.
Many of you joined us this year in sharing #isolationinspiration pictures and stories of how parks have helped you manage. Others contributed to robust conversations at our virtual Parks as Democracy? Conference about how current events interact with the concept of parks as democratic spaces.
Meanwhile, the financial support of so many members and friends of the parks has enabled us to keep on keeping on during difficult circumstances. Here's a snapshot of a few projects your support has facilitated during 2020:
- We transitioned our Nature Along the Lake field trips for elementary school children and Earth Team program for high schoolers into remote programming. The videos and other virtual tools and curriculum redesign that have been required for that innovation have helped to support expansion of the programming to more neighborhoods and provision of more resources to overwhelmed teachers who are challenged to provide creative, on-line lessons for Chicago’s school children.
- We are refining the ways we convene, support, and amplify the work of Park Advisory Councils and park partners. We repurposed supplies donated for Earth Day to PACs and other community groups cleaning up parks and neighborhoods after the looting. And we’re currently lifting up the creative ways volunteers across the city have sought to build community around our parks in safe and unique ways amidst COVID-19. (VIP Awards nominations are open through November 30, click here) And with your help, we will launch a handful of park walking clubs in the new year!
- Lots of advocacy work has continued behind the scenes as well as in very public ways. Mayor Lightfoot appointed us to the Lincoln Yards Community Advisory Committee where we continue to push for more and truly public parkland amidst mega-developments. And our fierce fight to close the CDF pollution dump at the confluence of Lake Michigan and the Calumet River as part of our Last Four Miles vision to complete the lakefront path and park system is currently our highest priority!
Many friends of the parks responded to our pivot to a Digital Earth Day as part of the global 50th anniversary of Earth Day. You took us up on an invitation to on-line advocacy against the CDF, thus triggering membership via our new approach which allows for an advocacy action, a monetary gift, or both as a way to become a member of friends of the parks.
And a number of you joined us for our virtual Happy Anniversary Happy Hour kick-off of our year-long 45thanniversary celebration on July 24, marking 45 years from the date of Friends of the Parks’ incorporation as a non-profit. We were joined at that event by many long-time friends from the early days of the organization, not the least of whom was co-founder Victoria Ranney who added to her reminiscence with us an offer of some copies of her book “Olmsted in Chicago.”
So along with a number of new approaches to our 2021 Early Bird Membership Drive, this year we offer Vicky’s book to you as a special 45th anniversary gift for those make a monetary contribution of $45 or more before the end of the year to help us go into 2021 strong. (We provided signed copies to those who purchased tickets to our virtual Luncheon; these copies won’t have a signature.)
See the list below for more details on the 45th anniversary membership program and join us today!
Meanwhile, may your home be filled with light and love, and may Chicago’s parks be of respite, restoration, and resilience to you and yours this season.
In solidarity,
Juanita Irizarry
Executive Director
In an effort to better include those who may not be able to afford the traditional membership fee, as part our 45thanniversary celebration we are instituting new practices that invite more people into membership based on acts on behalf of our parks in collaboration with FOTP and/or via any donation of $45 or more.
For Early Bird members donating $45 on-line or postmarked by 12.31.20
- 45th anniversary membership gift for any contribution of $45 or more – “Olmsted in Chicago” by Victoria Ranney
- Invitation to winter “How to be a friend of the parks” virtual gathering/training
- Membership via a donation of $45 or more or any Advocacy Action – 1 FOTP branded mask
- Family membership via a $75 donation – 2 FOTP branded masks
- Invitation to FOTP member reception in our new office (once COVID-19 allows); we are moving out of our current space as our lease runs out in January.
