PLAY Roanoke has announced the formation of the Roanoke Parks Foundation, dedicated to supporting the City of Roanoke’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
This non–profit organization will work with donors, volunteers, and leaders in the community towards improving the quality of life for all Roanoke residents and visitors. The Foundation will raise funds, accept gifts, and provide additional resources to enhance the department’s existing programs, services, facilities, and technology.
“Just 2% of the overall city budget is allocated to the Parks and Recreation Department,
which doesn’t allow for much wiggle room with maintaining the long list of assets we manage,” says Patrick Boas, Recreation Manager. Throughout the course of the pandemic, Parks and Recreation facilities saw a dramatic increase in usage which outpaced the department’s budget. Funding provided by the Roanoke Parks Foundation will be allocated toward the nearly $80 million dollars’ worth of projects identified in the latest master plan.
“When speaking with the newly formed foundation, it was noted that for the city’s 100,000 residents, the budget is the equivalent individual rate of roughly $60 per year or $5 per month,” Boas added. “Most folks spend more than that on a gym membership, so why not find a way to give back to the many park spaces we have right outside our door?”
The City of Roanoke’s Department of Parks and Recreation is a full–service, nationally
accredited municipal agency that maintains nearly 14,000 acres of public land and
provides the Roanoke Valley with two thousand recreational opportunities each year.
With 60 parks, more than 90 miles of greenways and trails, five plazas, two outdoor
swimming pools and seven recreation centers, Roanoke Parks and Recreation currently
employees 69 full–time employees and roughly 150 part–time and seasonal employees.
For more information about the Roanoke Parks Foundation and to make a donation, visit www.playroanoke.com/roanoke–parks–foundation.
