by Virginia Adams Marentette
An article on the front page of the May 30th edition of the Northwest Current newspaper noted that the DC Council allocated significant money in the 2013 budget for playground renovations, and it listed Forest Hills Playground as one of the parks that would benefit. FOFHP, via former President Danielle Knight, has been in close contact with Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and has been told that that there are no current plans to upgrade the Forest Hills playground as part of this program.
Since then, the Northwest Current (June 13th edition, page 4 (PDF file)) ran an update stating that the list of parks released as benefactors is no longer valid and that DPR and the Department of General Services (DGS) “may renovate fewer or different facilities with that money” and are in the process “conducting an analysis to determine which playgrounds are most in need.” We will continue to stay in touch with DPR and provide updates to the playground listserv as we have them.
In the meantime, we continue to rely on the on the generous support of the wonderful families in our neighborhood who have, over the past couple decades, ensured that the playground remains the gem of our neighborhood, and a treasure for all our children.
In other news, I’m excited to announce that FOFHP will be hosting “Music and Pops in the Park” on Saturday, July 14 from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Children will get to enjoy a fun live music performance by Kimberly Panzer Harris of FUNdamentals of Music and Movement and the famous Pleasant Pops food truck will be on site selling their delicious frozen treats and donating a percentage of proceeds to our organization! You won’t want to miss it, so mark your calendars now.
It’s events like this and the financial support from families like yours that allows us to maintain the playground and host fun events for our little ones. On that note, I want to officially thank all of the families that have already contributed to our 100 Families Campaign, an effort to get 100 families to contribute to FOFHP so that we have the resources needed to keep-up the park and make necessary renovations. Our goal is to raise $10,000 by next year, so we need your help. If you haven’t joined the 100 Families campaign, its not too late – please make a donation today of $50, $100, or whatever you may be able to afford. You can make a secure, tax deductible donation at www.razoo.com/story/100families. Any amount is greatly appreciated and donations of $10 or more can be made on a monthly basis.
If you have ideas for other fundraisers or know of businesses that would like to donate their goods or services, please be in touch. I’m honored to serve on the Board of FOFHP and look forward to seeing you at the park!