Author Archives: Volunteer Park Trust

About Volunteer Park Trust

The mission of the Volunteer Park Trust, a volunteer driven organization, is to restore, protect and preserve this city and national landmark for today and for generations to come.

CHS Community Post | Volunteer Park Trust’s Holiday in the Park Celebration

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VPT-Holiday-in-the-Park-MontageFor two magical hours on Thursday, Volunteer Park was transformed into a holiday wonderland with over 600 candle-lit luminarias lining the pathways for Volunteer Park Trust’s much-anticipated annual event: Holiday in the Park.

Over 1,200 people were undaunted by the cold weather and short gusts of rain as Volunteer Park Trust kept revelers warm dispensing 30 gallons of free cocoa donated by Tully’s Coffee and sweetened the evening with one thousand free cookies provided by Whole Foods. Seattle Asian Art Museum’s facade featured special dramatic green and red lighting, making an impressive holiday backdrop for the stage presentation of four different singing groups.

This year the choral line up featured Seatown Sound, Sing Noel, Columbia City Community Chorus, and the 2015 Figgy Pudding caroling competition award winners The Beaconettes. Old favorites were mixed with inventive original holiday songs, including Seatown Sounds’ “All I Want for Christmas is — Presents!” Both the museum and the Volunteer Park Conservatory extended their hours for the event, providing families with warm welcomes. Continue reading →

CHS Community Post | Volunteer Park Trust launches community fundraising campaign with $35,000 matching gift

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070915_dh__VPT_concert_018Volunteer 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.

CHS Community Post | Volunteer Park Trust’s Fall Stewardship Day a Success

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Volunteers50 eager volunteers descended on Volunteer Park last Saturday at 10 am hoping the rain would hold off and the wind wouldn’t pick up. All were greeted by friendly and organized Volunteer Park Trust committee members. Volunteers were given good tools, coffee and even a donut after signing in.

The southeast corner of the Park needed lots of attention and it got it! Massive weeding and mulching commenced. Volunteer Park’s Landscape Committee Chair and the Head Gardner at Volunteer Park were prepared to lead the charge. Neighbors greeted each other, friends were made and fresh air was enjoyed, all while bringing back some of Olmsted’s original vision for the Park.

Four hours later, supplies were packed up and Volunteer Park Trust signs were scattered through the newly transformed beds. 50 volunteers headed home very satisfied with all they had accomplished. A big thank you to our fabulous volunteers!

For more information please visit www.volunteerparkorg.com