A park being built by the community of the Mt Baker Foothills for everyone!
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THE VISION:
To build a community park in Maple Falls for people of all ages and interests to come together to play, to hold community events, to promote a healthy life style, and to preserve the historic legacy of the property. |
/ Outdoor green space
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Many thanks to all the volunteer hours put in to this park!
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OUR STORY!
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The property was donated to the School District by George King, the original owner of the homestead that became Maple Falls. He intended it to be set aside for the benefit of local children, youth and their families
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In May 2013, the abandoned building that was the former Maple Falls Elementary School was demolished via a controlled burn. At this event, a collective inspiration ignited in many local spectators. What was once the site of an abandoned building was now seen as a much needed, green, open space in the middle of a growing community. These inspired individuals organized to form a non-profit under the umbrella of the Whatcom Park and Recreation Foundation (WPRF) called The Maple Falls Park Committee (MFPC). The Committee consists of four board members: a president, vice-president, secretary, and a treasurer, and our volunteer base is continually growing. The Committee meets every two weeks and keeps minutes which are part of the public record. Furthermore, the Committee has garnered the support and cooperation of the local Chamber of Commerce, as well as the local Lions Club. All the local business owners have expressed their support of the park. Over 130 signatures in support of the park have been collected from residents of Maple Falls, many of whom are prepared to volunteer their time, talents, and equipment to make this park a reality. We will rely on networking and on our volunteer base within the community to build and to maintain this park. Our park will not only serve the residents of Maple Falls, but also the two neighboring communities of Glacier and Kendall, both without parks of their own. The Maple Falls Park will include recreational sports fields and playgrounds that will host community organized sporting events, as well as provide a gathering place for events such as “Movies under the Stars” and outdoor concerts. It will have a grilling area for family and neighborhood barbeque's; and it will promote a healthy lifestyle by providing a fitness trail that will hug the perimeter of the property. In addition, the park will offer much needed parking for the trail-head that connects Maple Falls to Glacier which is a segment of the Baker to Bay Trail. The trail-head is located right across the street from the park and has no legal parking at this time. This will make the trail more inviting to visitors, which will potentially benefit local businesses. With this park, we intend to engage Foothill residents with each other by making a local gathering place available. Through community events throughout the year, we desire to give all the residents of Maple Falls an opportunity to have a sense of ownership of the park. We plan to build this project in stages. This year (2014) our focus is on continuing to stir up community awareness and excitement through a number of fund-raisers. By the spring of 2015, we will begin with the construction of the park. There are no other projects of this kind in the works at this time in our area. However, residents in Kendall are aware of our endeavors and, if successful, are planning to build their own park in the future next to their Resource Center. Our park will open the door for Maple Falls to become a place that is not only known as a place with a handful of small businesses, but also as a small community that has spirit, and that is host to a number of lively events throughout the year. Before the Maple Falls Elementary School closed in 1999, it was a venue for numerous events and activities that brought our community together throughout the year. With the Maple Falls Park, our small community will once again have an inviting gathering place for young and old. We invite you to help our small community to build a unique central gathering place by supporting this project. Thank you for your time and interest. Feel free to donate at Crossroads Grocery next time you're in there, located in beautiful downtown Maple Falls! |
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HOW YOU CAN HELP THE PARK:
- Make a direct financial contribution that's tax deductable: checks payable to Maple Falls Park Group, P. O. Box 1495, Maple Falls, WA 98266
• Or Donate here via Squarespace!
- Link your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to us and donate every time you shop! Sign in first, (or make a new account and sign in) then search for organization - Maple Falls Park Group.
- Volunteer your time or skills (email us here and let us know how you'd like to help).
- Attend a work party (we'll send out an email and post on our Facebook Page)
- Use your Amazon Prime account and Amazon Smile. They donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible Amazon Smile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. Search for Whatcom County Parks and Recreation
- Buy a Maple Falls Park Legacy Leaf - have your name (or someone else's) inscribed in a brick or locally crafted hand-cast leaf as part of a permanent installation of donor names.
- Talk to your neighbors and get them excited about the park! And come ride your bike at the pump track!
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Maple Falls Park Committee:
Jeff Hambelton, President
Hilary Groh, Vice President
Sonya Buckner, Secretary
Doris Roosma, Treasurer
Corey Saxon, Board Member
Jamy Pearson, Web Design Volunteer
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