The Community Foundation committed $1 million in 2006 to a unique three-park project with the power to transform our community. Over the next 15 months, in partnership with Region 2020, the Community Foundation led the Three Park Initiative, a campaign to raise money from area philanthropic foundations and businesses for Railroad Park, Red Mountain Park and Ruffner Mountain Nature Center.
As of January 2008, businesses and foundations had committed $15 million toward a $17.35 million goal to fund the first phase of all three parks. These gifts, combined with federal, county and city dollars, will help to create Railroad Park as a new urban destination and Red Mountain Park as a ridgetop attraction in the Oxmoor Valley and to expand Ruffner Mountain, including a new education center and wetlands area.
"The acreage included in Railroad, Ruffner and Red Mountain parks allows our community to take a quantum leap and become a national leader in green space," said Kate Nielsen, president of the Community Foundation, which made a $1 million grant to the Three Parks Initiative. "It's clear that our community understands the value of parks and greenspace in economic development as well as health issues and neighborhood revitalization.”
The Three Parks Fund within the Community Foundation will provide administrative and investment services until all pledges are collected and distribution completed to the individual parks. Anyone who wishes to make a single gift, such as stock, to all three parks, can still do so, but the individual parks will continue their campaigns to complete this first phase and support future improvements.
Contact Brenda Howell at 327-3807 or e-mail if you wish to make a gift to the Three Parks Fund by stock, real estate or other means. For gifts to individual park projects, follow the links to Railroad Reservation, Red Mountain and Ruffner Mountain websites for more information.
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