FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Funds Will Enable Completion of Delaware Park Shelter Restoration
Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy Contact:
Therese Fuerst
Fuerst Consulting Corp.
716/200-3593
Bank of America Contact:
Tara Burke
203.292.6590
tara.a.burke@bankofamerica.com
Download a PDF of this press release.
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Bank of America today announced it has awarded a $250,000 grant to the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, the first nonprofit organization in the nation to both steward and maintain an historic urban park system. The funds will be used to complete the restoration of the Rumsey Park Shelter in Delaware Park.
The Rumsey Shelter, located at the Delaware Park entrance just off the intersection of Delaware Avenue and Rumsey Road, has long been vacant. The historic building once offered a comfort station, with bathrooms and a small main room featuring a fireplace. Park users would come to the shelter to take a break from jogging, hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on the nearby trails. Renovations are expected to complete by the spring of 2019.
“Bank of America is honored to support the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy’s efforts to increase access to beautiful spaces,” said Kevin Murphy, Buffalo Market President for Bank of America. “Parks are a vital element of thriving communities, providing local residents with free, clean and safe greenspace, while supporting tourism and economic growth in the surrounding area. We are excited to partner with the Conservancy to enhance the Rumsey Shelter.”
The Olmsted Park System attracts millions of visitors a year.
“This year we celebrate 150 years since Fredrick Law Olmsted began creating his vision of a Park and Parkway system in Buffalo,” said Stephanie Crockatt, Executive Director, Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. “During this commemorative year, the Conservancy will be focusing on public awareness of the system and anticipates an increase in the number of park users and visitors. This incredible grant opportunity from Bank of America is exactly the kind of corporate support we need in making a difference for public access amenities. Olmsted parks serve the entire population of Buffalo and the Western New York region year-round, and as such, keeping up with necessary upgrades and restorations is an expensive essential.”
“The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy Board of Directors published our parks master plan in 2008 – The Plan for the 21st Century – which directs funding priorities of projects across the Olmsted Park System,” said Dennis Horrigan, Chairman of the Conservancy Board. “The rehabilitation of Rumsey Shelter is one of those identified projects. Rest shelters are a key park amenity for public use, and so far the Conservancy has restored similar facilities in MLK Jr. Park and most recently in Cazenovia Park. We are grateful to Bank of America for the opportunity to continue our mission and great work for this outstanding park system.”
To learn more about the various ways your organization can support the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy in this 150th Celebration year, please contact Catie Stephenson, Development Officer, at 716-838-1249, ext. 22 or catie@bfloparks.org. For a full list of 150th Celebration events visit bfloparks.wpengine.com/150.
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About the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy
The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy is the first nonprofit organization in the nation to manage and operate an entire urban park system. Designed by America’s foremost landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, the 850 acre park system began in 1868 and became the first of its kind in the nation. Today more than 2.5 million people freely use Buffalo’s historic, award-winning Olmsted Parks annually for recreation, relaxation and rejuvenation. The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy is a membership-based, nonprofit, community organization whose mission is to promote, preserve, restore, enhance, and maintain the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed parks and parkways in the greater Buffalo area for current and future generations. Basic maintenance of the parks has been greatly improved since the 2004 groundbreaking public-private agreement between the Conservancy, City of Buffalo and Erie County. The Conservancy administers its mission and park improvements in conjunction with its 2008 master plan: The Plan for the 21st Century. In partnership with the City of Buffalo since 2010, the Conservancy retains responsibility for the operations and care of these public spaces which are listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. Most recently, the American Planning Association recognized Delaware Park as one of the 2014 Great Places in America and The Guardian named the Olmsted Park System as one of the best parks in the world.
The Buffalo Olmsted Park System includes:
Six parks: Cazenovia Park, Delaware Park, Front Park, Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, Riverside Park, and South Park
Seven parkways: Bidwell, Chapin, Lincoln, McKinley, Porter, Red Jacket, and Richmond
Eight landscaped traffic circles: Agassiz, Colonial, Ferry, Gates, McClellan, McKinley, Soldiers, and Symphony.
About Bank of America Environmental, Social and Governance
At Bank of America, we are guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We are delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter at @BofANews.
