Charity spotlight: Local nonprofit supports maintenance of Charlotte’s parks and greenways (Charlotte Ledger)
Exploring parks and greenways is the best way to get to know a city, says Rachel Orn, the marketing director for Partners for Parks. When she moved to Charlotte, that’s the first thing she did.
Since 1996, Partners for Parks, a nonprofit that raises and distributes money to Charlotte’s 200+ parks and green spaces, has built playgrounds, assisted Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department with park and greenway maintenance, and established summer camp scholarships.
The nonprofit is mostly funded by donations from corporations and individuals. Donors can put their money into a general fund or send it to a specific park or greenway. Partners for Parks once received a $100,000 donation to put toward Pearl Street Park, which sits in a historically Black neighborhood in Midtown.
Partners for Parks also works closely with Sustain Charlotte, a nonprofit dedicated to encouraging cleaner and healthier transportation in Charlotte.