ALBANY – Albany hosted the California Park and Recreation Society District 3 awards luncheon on Feb. 23 at the Albany Community Center and locals took home two of the awards.
The Albany Community Foundation was named one of several Outstanding Non-Profit Organization Partners. The Friends of Albany Parks program was one of several Outstanding Recreation Programs.
District 3 consists of Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
Albany Community Foundation President Doug Donaldson accepted the award, carrying a pizza box. The Foundation provides pizzas for volunteers that help with the city’s park cleanup events.
“I couldn’t resist,” Donaldson said when asked about his prop. “I just never imagined that I’d be getting an award for delivering pizza at age 73.”
The Albany Community Foundation “works to enrich the community through projects emphasizing recreation and social services, festivals and events, public art and civic beautification,” according to the description read by master of ceremonies Mike Heller. “The Albany Community Foundation is a stalwart supporter of the Albany Recreation & Community Services and Albany community. With their support, the department is able to offer programs that support and enhance the ever-changing needs of Albany’s diverse community.”
The Foundation was created in 2001 and has funded many projects around Albany. They include landscaping around Key Route Boulevard, restoration of memorial plaques at Solano Avenue and Key Route, bike racks, the Arts & Green Festival, The Albany FilmFest, the Poet Laureate Fund, Spring Concerts in the Park, grants to support the arts at the Albany Bulb and sponshorship funds for Dinner With Albany.
“We do all kinds of things around town and we don’t seek recognition,” Donaldson said. “We’re kind of low-profile about it. This is a terrific award.”
The Friends of Albany Parks program began in 2012 and encourages community members to get involved with the “care, maintenance and beautification of their favorite neighborhood park.” This includes the park cleanup days where the Albany Community Foundation provides the pizza. The program is administered through the Albany Recreation and Community Services Department. Each year, 450 volunteer hours contribute to the removal of 20 cubic yards of trash, 80 cubic yards of debris and the replacement of invasive species with native plants.
“Friends of Albany Parks is a stewardship program to encourage residents to take a stock or a larger stock in the community spaces that surround them,” said Liam Kelly, Recreation Coordinator/Senior Vice President, Brooms for Albany Recreation and Community Services. “It really did start with the idea that, as bad as this is going to sound, somebody complains about a problem with a park, we say, ‘Here’s a rake.’
“We just want to create some sort of avenue for people to get involved, even if a nano- or micro-volunteering level,” Kelly continued. “Giving somebody a broom, giving somebody a rake and then working for 15 or 20 minutes before their kids go play on a playground gives them the opportunity to be a part of something.”
Added Brennen Brown, Recreation Coordinator/Senior Vice President, Rakes for Albany Recreational and Community Services: “Organizations such as Friends of Albany Hill, Friends of Five Creeks and Love the Bulb, they work with us extensively, they help coordinate the native planting. A lot of their work goes into making this as successful as it is.”