FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grant Funds Allow Continual Upgrades To Soccer Fields
Contact: Therese Fuerst, Fuerst Consulting Corp., 716/200-3593
Click here to view a PDF of this press release.
(BUFFALO, NY) – The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, the first nonprofit organization in the nation to manage and operate a historic urban park system, today announced that it has received a $21,315 grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. This grant will allow for much needed upgrades to the goal mouths of the soccer fields at the Meadow in Delaware Park.
“The outcome of this fall 2018 – spring 2019 project will be measured by the successful establishment of grass in front of the goals of the soccer fields. This project will positively impact thousands of youth and park goers who use these fields all season long,” stated Greg Robinson, Director of Park Administration at the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. “In addition to serving as a preventative measure to reduce the possibility of injury due to the conditions of the playing surface, this project also allows the fields to be open and available for unscheduled play when the fields are not in use for league play.”
This is the second award for soccer field improvements that has come from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. In September 2017, the Foundation awarded $24,000 to the Conservancy to make improvements at Rumsey Soccer Field and due to this grant, resurfacing of the turf is expected to be completed this fall.
The Conservancy is responsible for the maintenance of all 850 acres of our community’s Olmsted-designed park system, which includes eight soccer fields across six parks, seven parkways and eight circles, and raises over 60% of its annual budget from scratch each year.
The Conservancy appreciates the cooperation of all park users, and requests that activities on the soccer fields, including any recreational or dog use, be limited until spring to allow for the best results with the investment of this vital funding.
Click here to view a PDF of this press release.
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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 that consists of 850 acres of beautifully designed historic parks, parkways and circles. Celebrating 150 years of Olmsted in Buffalo, The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy is a not-for-profit, membership-based, 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. More than 2.5 million people use Buffalo’s historic, award-winning Olmsted Park system annually for recreation, relaxation and rejuvenation. The parks were designed by America’s first landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted more than 148 years ago. Basic maintenance of the parks has been greatly improved since the 2004 groundbreaking public-private agreement with the City of Buffalo and Erie County. Since that time, the Olmsted Parks Conservancy, now partnering with the City of Buffalo, has retained full responsibility for the management and care of these green 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 park systems in the world. bfloparks.wpengine.com
The Buffalo Olmsted Park System includes:
Six parks: Cazenovia Park in South Buffalo, Delaware Park in Delaware/Parkside District, Front Park at the Peace Bridge, Martin Luther King, Jr. Park at Fillmore Avenue, Riverside Park at Niagara and Tonawanda Street, and South Park at McKinley Parkway
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 the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, a 501 (C) (3) organization, was established in 1919 to enhance and encourage long-term philanthropy in the Western New York community. The Foundation’s mission is: Connecting people, ideas and resources to improve lives in Western New York. For over 95 years, the Community Foundation has made the most of the generosity of individuals, families, foundations and organizations who entrust charitable assets to its care. The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds were established at the Community Foundation to provide support to four areas that were important to Mr. Wilson: caregiving, community assets, design and access, and youth sports. Endowment funds, like these created to honor Mr. Wilson, are designed to grow over time and provide funding for charitable causes according to a client’s wishes. www.cfgb.org
