Guest Blog by Joe Stout, Executive Director, Westchester Parks Foundation

Parks are a vital and fundamental part of the community. They exist to conserve green space, whether 1 or 100 acres and improve your quality of life. They provide a place where people from all walks may gather and enjoy the benefits of the outdoors. They invite people of every age and ability to engage in fitness and reap the wellness benefits of outdoor activities.

In Westchester County, our 18,000-acre park system is one of our most valuable assets. Encompassing more land than many state park systems, it is a reason that people live here, work here, and spend time here.

Westchester Parks Foundation supports the Westchester County Parks system, which comprises more than 50 parks and recreation properties– a tribute to people of vision who created one of the finest park systems in the country.

Since our founding in 1977, Westchester Parks Foundation has invested over $15 million to enrich the park experience for all residents. We recognize that public action and private support must join together to secure the future of our park infrastructure and the enhancements that help our parks thrive. We also create and manage programs that unite people from all corners of the county to gather together, where they are inspired to care for, learn about, and enjoy our parks. Our programs are purposeful, engage the public, and enrich our park system. They include: Pitch in for Parks, our largest one-day volunteer event which was held last month to get the parks ready for peak season; Camp Morty, a unique camp experience for children ages 8-15 who are part of the Westchester Department of Social Services; and the iconic Bicycle Sundays, where bicyclists, skaters, joggers and walkers take over 6.5 miles of the Bronx River Parkway and enjoy

Since 2015, we have engaged nearly 5,000 members of our community to volunteer in the Westchester County park system, who have contributed nearly 15,000 hours of service. We invite Westchester’s businesses to partner with us in the opportunity to preserve one of Westchester’s greatest assets, our park system. The support of Westchester’s businesses and community organizations help to preserve and enhance the quality of life here in our county, and the parks for all to enjoy.

We envision a county park system that is enriched through individual and community action, coupled with private support, to preserve one of our most valuable assets for future generations. We can achieve this through the generosity of private citizens, corporate responsibility, park lovers, stewards and community allies.

Help advance parks today.