VISION
Create a safe, inclusive and vibrant community park.
The park currently located at the site of the former Gerry School is outdated, unsafe and in desperate need of repair. We are a group of Marblehead families working together with the town of Marblehead to raise awareness and critical funding to create a new park at the current site. We need your help to accomplish this goal!
THE PARK ON ELM
Anything thoughtful is better than what we have now.
Mission Statement: To renew, care, and advocate for the park on Elm Street commonly known as the old Gerry School playground. Through fundraising, advocacy, and community engagement we aim to revitalize this park to create a safe, inclusive, and vibrant open space in a densely populated neighborhood, and ensure the park remains an accessible community asset for generations to come.
Town of Marblehead ARPA Funds | $100,000
Anonymous | $25,000
Anonymous | $10,000
Jean Verbridge | $10,000
Krista Finigan | $5,000
The Flynn Family | $5,000
Paul & Liz Pruett | $5,000
Chris & Kristen Buchanan | $2,500
Kristen & Chase Bibby | $2,500
Gayle Dublin | $2,500
Doug & Liza Park | $2,500
Debbie & Mike Powell | $2,500
Finigan Calzonetti Family | $2,000
John & Susan Hassett | $2,000
Cory & Frank Arabia | $1,000
Grace Bacon & Ezra Haggerty | $1,000
Mike & Naomi Caselli | $1,000
Will & Ariel Gardner | $1,000
Brian Gault & Millicent Armstrong | $1,000
Fiona & Geoff Lubbock | $1,000
Matt & Maeve Maguire | $1,000
Paul & Katie Melanson | $1,000
Ryan & Jessica Murphy | $1,000
Adam & Leah Questad | $1,000
Gareth & Chris Randall | $1,000
Adam & Lindsay Smith | $1,000
Thank you to our generous major sponsors of $1,000+
PROGRESS
The town of Marblehead has engaged Crowley Cotrell as the landscape architect on this project. This is our final design plan.
The town is putting the project out to bid and we will know the final cost estimate once we have that information. Based on the cost of other playgrounds and parks in town we anticipate needing to raise $400K.
The Friends of the Park on Elm Street will continue to share additional updates on this project as they become available.
SAFE AND INCLUSIVE
0-99+
Ages welcome!
500+
Neighborhood children
We want to create a fun and inviting space for people of all ages to come together and enjoy outdoor activities. Our goal is to raise enough funds to provide a unique, naturalistic park that fits in Old Town. With intentional play experiences that incorporates sustainable elements, promotes physical activity, mental wellness and socialization while also accommodating people who are differently abled. This is one of the only safe areas for children to play in the historic district.
LOCAL INVOLVEMENT
100+
Families Involved
100%
Cooperation with the Town
This project is not possible without the efforts of our community. We are grateful to the many community members who advocated for the park to remain town property. We believe we can make this park into something special - and while we are working closely with the town and the Landscape Architect - we need the advocacy and support of local families to bring this project to life.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Help us preserve the past while building the future for generations to come...
The Park on Elm is a community-driven project that aims to provide our town with state-of-the-art play facilities, green space and opportunities to explore and relax. Our goal is to create a warm and welcoming space that children of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy and take pride in; a place where memories are made and connections are strengthened. But we can't do this alone. We need your help to make this park a reality. Whether it's through a monetary donation or an in-kind contribution, every little bit counts towards creating a vibrant park.
How you can help right now!
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Collect drawings from your children of anything park related so we can include them in our donor correspondence.
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Ask friends and family to consider making contributions to the park in lieu of presents for a birthday party or celebration.
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Host a lemonade stand to collect donations for the park.
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Consider hosting a small fundraising event to raise awareness and support for the project.
Please email theparkonelm@gmail.com to learn more.
TEAMWORK
The Park on Elm in Numbers
100+
Families within 1/2 Mile
270+
School Age Children
$180K
Money Secured
$400K
Total Goal
The Board
Friends of the Park on Elm Street is a non-profit organization and we are entirely volunteer driven.
Any contribution made to the Park on Elm Street will be directly applied towards improving the Park. Friends of the Park on Elm Street board members' personal contributions to this project have paid for our general operating costs like website fees, marketing and fundraising materials, postage, etc.
We have been incredibly fortunate to benefit from tremendous in-kind donations from the community - like Rubin & Rudman who provided their services pro-bono to help us establish our 501c3 status and KingFish who built our website, and Gus & Ruby who donated their services for our mailed materials.
We are doing our best to keep our operating costs as low as possible so that 100% of the funds raised can go directly towards improving the park.
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Maeve Maguire - President
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Jessica Murphy - Vice President
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Kate Melanson - Secretary
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Krista Finigan - Treasurer
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Naomi Caselli
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Sam DeLuca
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Will Gardner
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Leah Questad
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Adam Smith
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Debbie Powell
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Liz & Paul Pruett
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Mary Stewart
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Jean Verbringe
Meet the new park.
Beautiful
Our playground is designed to harmoniously blend into the stunning natural landscape that surrounds it, creating a serene environment for children to play and explore.
Safe
Safety is not just a goal but an absolute priority. The new park will keep that in mind with not just the equipment but the overall design elements as well.
Inclusive
The new park will feature design elements that keep everyone involved. There will be something for everyone at the Park on Elm!
