This year was like no other, for the world and especially for your downtown parks. Instead of calling on our community members to gather with their neighbors for free concerts and wellness classes, for movies on the lawn and children's programs, our parks fell silent. We had to cancel programs and events, close park features and ask folks to keep their distance.
However, we didn't let that stop us. We knew that without the help of our dedicated partners, we never would have had such high-quality programs. In order to return the support, we established a blog on our website, publishing content daily from our local partners to bolster their work as well as give our community at-home programming. To date, our blog has gathered over 11,000 readers since it's start.
We also took one of our biggest programs, National Dance Day GSO and made it virtual. Our virtual National Dance Day GSO celebration has garnered over 10,000 engagements across all platforms, and is only continuing to grow. The Programs Department produced 10 performance videos featuring local dance groups, 1 Community Dance compilation, and 1 mini documentary summarizing the Interactive Mural Collaboration project in partnership with Dance Project's North Carolina Dance Festival.
While we have weathered all that 2020 has thrown our way and are optimistic for what the future holds, we know we can't do this without you. This Giving Tuesday we’re asking for your help to rebuild those connections in 2021. Your gift will help us safely bring back free music, movies, wellness, family programs and more to your downtown parks! A gift of any size goes a long way to supporting local artists, improving facilities, and bringing new projects to these vital urban greenspaces. So, how can you give? Try text-to-give by texting “MYPARK” to 44-321 or visit our website to become a friend of the parks today!