Volunteer Park Trust has just launched its annual fundraising campaign with a $35,000 matching gift from its committee members.

The Trust is a volunteer driven organization with the mission “to restore, protect and preserve this city and national landmark for today and for generations to come”. Volunteer Park Trust is known for its work in restoring garden beds to the original Olmsted design, organizing community-wide park clean-ups and community events and most recently, launching a feasibility study for replacing the park Amphitheater (http://volunteerparktrust.org/current-projects/amphitheater/). The annual campaign will bring in needed funds to keep Volunteer Park Trust operating year round, and support such programs as revamping the southeast entrance, expanding and replacing irrigation pipeline, weeding, mulching and removing litter, and their annual free events the Picnic in the Park and Holiday in the Park.

Ellen Look, chair of the Trust’s Development Committee, says, “Even with the new parks levy, the city still does not have the resources to maintain all of Volunteer Park’s 48 acres. As neighbors of the park, we’ve stepped up to make the park a better and safer place for everyone.”

To help with this goal, leadership members of the Trust have pooled their resources to match gifts one-to-one up to a total of $35,000, effectively doubling contributions. “We hope to inspire others to give what they can,” Look says. “Every contribution helps and now gifts from our friends and neighbors will go twice as far.” Donations can be made through their website at volunteerparktrust.org.