As summer sizzles here in Portland, we spend more time in our beautiful tree-shaded Wilshire Park. And as you do, take note of the upgrade to the NatureSpace area just west of the pavilion, the landscaping on the north and south sides, and the new play car and house in the toddler area. How did these additions happen? In part through grants procured by BWNA’s Friends of Wilshire Park committee (FoWP), coupled with technical support provided by the Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) staff—but primarily through generous donations of time and money from park-loving neighbors.
So what’s next on the FoWP agenda? No less than the launching of its most ambitious fundraising campaign to date, with the goal of financing a much-needed and long-overdue addition to the off-leash dog run area: piped-in drinking water for the dogs.
“That creepy stranger has ordered you some water.”
And just how ambitious a project is this? Brace yourself: the estimated price tag is a whopping $25,000! To say the least, the challenge is formidable; but FoWP remains hopeful—even optimistic—that area residents (especially the dog-lovers among us) will step up and beat the odds. To get the ball rolling, the BWNA board approved funding for the printing of fundraiser envelopes that have been hand-inserted into each of the over 2,600 newsletters by a dedicated corps of neighborhood volunteers. The message on the envelope instructs contributors to make checks out to “CNN” (Central Northeast Neighbors, BWNA’s coalition organization of nine local neighborhood associations), because CNN has 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, thus qualifying donations as tax-deductible.
If you are interested in finding out more about this project and perhaps helping with implementation of the campaign, plug into the next FoWP Zoom meeting on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. The Zoom meeting link is accessed by contacting FoWP Chair Gary Hancock (outside503@aol.com). Befriend the park and participate!
Editor’s Note: The fun cartoon accompanying this article is by Oren Bernstein, a B-W resident and longtime FoWP contributor who has been published in The New Yorker.