The purpose of this monthly newsletter is to keep Foundation partners and affiliate groups better informed with monthly updates on our activities, upcoming meetings, and other news of interest.  Your input is welcome.  If you have content to add to a future newsletter, wish to subscribe, or want to unsubscribe, please contact the Foundation webmaster/secretary, Karen Townsend at webmaster@rrpfoundation.org.

A Message from the Foundation's Executive Director
14 March 2007

Dear Foundation Partners and Friends:

Just a few quick comments:

I hope all our partners’ leaders are planning to attend the Annual Partner Luncheon Meeting next Wednesday, March 21st at the Carillon in William Byrd Park, at noon.

Note : One Box Lunch will be provided for your representative; the Foundation will provide a lunch to only one member of your Partner Group. Additional lunches $10.00.  RSVP to Barbara Brock at [Barbara.Brock@richmondgov.com] or 646-1031 by Friday, March 16th, 2007.

Luncheon Activities:

• Get updates on Foundation business and meet the new Foundation Officers;
• See presentation on Foundation’s Practices (legal “do’s and don’ts”, bookkeeping, other issues
• Meet JR Pope, Parks and Rec Dept Director and meet Roslyn J Johnson, the new Recreation Deputy Director
• Update us on Your Partner group (Please prepare a two-minute summary of your Group’s activities) and Hear What Others are Doing
• Network and Collaborate

Door Prize: Win a $50 donation to your Partner Group

As before, please bring a written update of your 2006 activities, plans for 2007, etc and bring photos of some of your activities (or send these in advance to our website).

Note, too, that we are recruiting new Board members. If you, or someone you know is interested in helping to improve the City’s parks, recreation centers and programs, urban forest and tree planting, and/or the 17th Street farmers market , call or email John Zeugner (288-5005 or jjzeugner@comcast.net) for more information.

Thanks, see you all next Wednesday!

John J Zeugner
RRPF Executive Director
jjzeugner@comcast.net
288-5005

2007 Strategic Planning Session Summary - Monday, February 26, 2007
Byrd Park Round House

 The Strategic Planning Session began at 8:30 a.m.

The group discussed accomplishments realized over the past year, including creations of job descriptions for the Executive Committee members, improvements to the website and a consistent e-newsletter, conservation easements, new partner groups, and more city grant applications being submitted.

Challenges faced included the need to fill board members’ slots (more diversity in membership), the need for consistent quality assistance for the executive director, consistent reports from partner groups on personnel changes, improved partner record keeping, and the need to develop a partners’ toolkit.

The group also discussed the need to create a basic gift pamphlet that could evolve into a project- or site-specific catalog for potential donors. The need to introduce the Foundation to recreation centers was discussed – John Zeugner will go to a center supervisors’ meeting to talk with them about the Foundation, and the e-newsletter will be sent to centers with e-mail capability. Barbara Brock will provide e-mail addresses to Karen Townsend.

The 2006 – 2008 Strategic Plan will focus on the following:

Goal 1: Board Development – to further develop the Foundation’s Board through the recruitment, training, and retention of quality Board members.

Goal 2: Resource Development – Seek out funds and resources to help support the work of the Foundation and its partner organizations.

Goal 3: Education and Outreach – To promote public awareness and education of city parks and recreation issues and facilitate citizen involvement and solutions.

Goal 4: Public Relations – Continue to build effective relationships with external groups promoting the Foundation’s public image and raise awareness of the work of the Foundation.

Goal 5: Partners – Build a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with partner organizations.

Goal 6: Administration – Improve the administration of the Foundation.

Goal 7: Financial – Improve the financial management of the Foundation.

Partner and Department News

Department announcements from Christy Everson...

PRCF ready for summer
The Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Facilities will kick off its summer camp programs on June 25. The Great Summer Escape will take place on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Aug. 24 at the department’s community centers and offer structured recreational and educational activities. Registration is based on a sliding scale fee, plus an additional $10 registration fee. In addition, the department will offer a wide variety of special interest camps that focus on basketball, golf, art, soccer, swimming, tennis, cheerleading and other interests.

Focus on health & fitness
The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will launch “Walk It Out,” a nutrition and fitness program for youth on March 15 and March 16. The program encourages youth who are active at community centers and in the department’s After School programs to exercise and eat right. Each child who registers will participate in a daily 30 minute to 60 minute fitness program as well as participate in nutrition lessons at the site and will receive a pedometer and a brochure that includes fitness and nutrition logs to track their progress.

The program kicks off at the department’s community centers on March 15 at 4:30 pm. At exactly 4:30pm at every recreation center across the city, every registered participant will receive a pedometer and will, as a group, walk 2007 steps and participate in a healthy eating activity. The department will also hold a citywide event at the Ashe Center on March 16 for children registered in the program. On, March 16 all registered participants will be transported to the Ashe Center for a musical kick off. Upon arriving youth will participate in fitness activities, hear words of welcome from invited guest speakers and be entertained by a special spoken word artist/rapper, Mike-E, who was commissioned by the American Cancer Society to be part of an Afro Flow tour which encourages healthy eating habits and physical exercise.

From Bill Conkle...

Fellow Earth Day/Fish Festival/Mayor's Walk and Roll/Arbor Day Advocates:
There will be a planning meeting on Thursday, March 15th at 6pm at Art Works (320 Hull Street). This is an important meeting with the Festivals being just over a month away. We will meet for 1 hour, then walk the festival site at 7pm.

Calendar of Upcoming Board Meetings and Other Events

March 21 - Annual Partner Luncheon at the Carillon in Byrd Park (Noon)
April 18 - Regular board meeting at Chimborazo Park Round House
May 16 - Regular board meeting, location TBA
June 20 - Regular board meeting, optional?
Summer Recess - July & August
September 19 - Regular board meeting, location TBA
October 17 - Regular board meeting, location TBA
November 14 - Regular board meeting, location TBA
December 12 - Board Breakfast, location TBA

The upcoming Partner Luncheon will replace our regular meeting for March.  Regular board meetings are held at 4:00 pm on the third Wednesday of most months. Locations vary as noted above.  Partners are cordially invited to join any or all Board Meetings.  For directions, please refer to the City's web page for community center information.