Nov. 4 event benefits park foundations
Join the fun at upcoming golf tourney!
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The Virginia Recreation and Park Society (VRPS) is in town for its annual conference Nov. 5-8 and it's teeing up a golf tournament for a great cause Friday, Nov. 4!
VBPRF is lending a helping hand and tournament proceeds will benefit both the state and city parks and recreation foundations.
The tournament tees off with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. at Red Wing Lake Golf Course, You can sign up individually or as a team of four. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Register today!
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Final concert is Oct. 14
Volunteers welcome!
VBPRF is selling adult beverages at the city's new Friday concert series at Mt. Trashmore, raising money to help support all its good works.
But we need plenty of helping hands, like the crew pictured here at the Sept. 16 concert! If you'd like to join the fun - and hear some fantastic music! - please contact volunteer coordinator Barbara Duke. The last Finally Fall Fridays concert is Oct. 14, with country musician Celeste Kellogg. Check out all the concert details here!
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Marsh View bike trails
are nearing completion
The mountain bike trails are nearing completion at Marsh View Park and with VBPRF's assistance, trail signs are being installed to guide bikers and hikers.
During a park tour for VBPRF board members Sept. 21, city employees Rob Macpherson, Ethan Cason, Joshua Volzke and Christopher Brown were on hand to point out all the trail features and how the various signs would be placed to ensure user safety. Signage costs, which are not covered by the city budget, are funded by VBPRF.
For a sneak peek at the trails, check out WAVY-TV's recent news segment.
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Students on the Swim schedule set;
funding needed for more instructors
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The city's 2022-23 Students on the Swim (SOS) program started last week, with 13 Title 1 schools on the schedule.
The two-week Red Cross-certified lessons are free to second-grade students. They will be taught at all six city recreation centers during the school day, with an anticipated 1,100 swimmers enrolled.
According to coordinator Carol Fernheimer, however, the program enrolled about 2,700 students from 30 schools in years prior to the pandemic. If funding is available for additional instructors, she says, they will be able to add schools and students in the spring semester.
With your support, Students on the Swim can increase the number of students taught during this school year.
Click here to donate and for more information on this important program.
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Bike Buddy program has racks available |
Bike Buddy racks, which are available at both the oceanfront and Mt. Trashmore, are a great way to honor a loved one, gain exposure for your company or contribute to the city's bike friendly vibe.
The racks, which reflect the whimsical artform of a leaf in color and shape, are powder-coated green steel for durability and stand just over 32 inches tall. The bike racks are installed in rows of five or ten. Each rack includes a donor message space; installation occurs after the sponsorship of all racks to complete a set.
The cost to sponsor a bike rack is $1,350 each. The Bike Buddy Program is the most recent addition to the popular Bench Buddy and Tree Buddy programs, which support the Parks & Recreation Foundation while providing valuable amenities to park patrons.
Click here for details on sponsoring one of these colorful racks!
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Excitement builds for Virginia Beach Trail |
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Virginia Beach City Council last month unanimously approved a federal grant application for funding to build 3.2 miles of the Virginia Beach Trail, a 12-mile shared-use path spanning the city.
The proposed new segment will connect the transit hub at Newtown Road to Town Center and the Thalia Creek Greenway, and will include a pedestrian and bike bridge over Independence Boulevard.
The Trail is part of the South Hampton Roads Trail now being built to Suffolk and the Birthplace of America Trail to Williamsburg. Statewide and trans-America trails will also connect via the existing Virgnia Capital Trail.
VBPRF was one of more than 100 nonprofits, businesses, government agencies, elected officials and other organizations that wrote letters of support for the Trail, all of which were submitted with the application. The eastern 1.5 miles of the Trail already exists along Norfolk Avenue, stretching from Birdneck Road to Atlantic Avenue.
A grant award decision is expected early next year. If you'd like to add your organization's voice in support of the Virginia Beach Trail, you can request a sample letter here.
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Parks & Rec finishes as national finalist |
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BREC, the parks agency in East Baton Rouge, La., took home the Gold Medal Award for excellence in park and recreation management at the national parks association's annual conference last month.
For the second consecutive year, Virginia Beach's parks and recreation department was named a Gold Medal Finalist. It is honored to have competed in the annual competition, which recognizes communities in the United States that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition.
Click here to view the city's video submission.
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*Proceeds from beverage sales benefit VBPRF!
Red Wing Lake Golf Course
*Proceeds benefit VBPRF and VRPF
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What's the VBPRF all about? |
If you're wondering why a city department like Parks & Recreation needs a Foundation, the answer is simple: to help meet needs that aren't funded by taxpayer revenue.
The Foundation was created as a 501(c)(3) organization in 2004 and its mission is to raise funds to enhance programs like the ones listed below, as well as to assist with other park enhancement needs like signage, special equipment, pump tracks, etc.
Your donation to the VBPRF helps keep Virginia Beach's parks and recreation system one of the best in the country!
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Want to get involved? Learn more about some of our programs (below) and find out how you can help.
Just click here to volunteer!
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Eleven citizens serve on the Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Foundation Board and they meet regularly to discuss, plan and help implement park needs. Serving in 2022 are: Pete Striffler (chair), Nick Anoia (president), Susie Walston (vice president), Ron Kaufman (treasurer), Dan Edwards (secretary) and members Barbara Duke, Mike Fentress, Joyce Hearn, Mindy Hughes, Gwynn Malikian and Claire Yoder.
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Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation Foundation
PO Box 64342 | Virginia Beach, VA 23467
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The Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that exists to support the Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation Department by raising funds, accepting gifts and providing other resources to enhance existing programs, services, facilities and technology. |
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