This Is How Park Hill’s Garden Walk Grows
Thanks To Everyone Who Dug In This Year
By Jean Ercolani
Garden Walk Organizer
This is a big, heartfelt thank you message to all the people who helped make the June 23 Park Hill Garden Walk a success.
The event would not happen year after year without the support of the entire Park Hill community. It starts with the dedicated Garden Walk committee, which consists of eight women who do this for their love and commitment to the neighborhood. While juggling full-time jobs, children and all other aspects of life, together they volunteer well over 1,000 hours of time to bring this event to life. This year’s Garden Walk is still on everyone’s minds, yet these women have already begun planning for next year – including scouting out gardens throughout Park Hill for 2020. This is an amazing team.
The Garden Walk also gets a lot of support from Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. This organization has been very supportive in terms of people, time and other resources. Thank you.
Proceeds go directly back to GPHC, Inc. The preliminary figures for this year aren’t yet available at press time, but last year nearly $7,900 was raised, with 458 people attending (158 more than the year before).
There are two primary aspects of the Park Hill Garden Walk that drive the financial element of this event: ticket sales and sponsorships. Thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket and attended. We hope you enjoyed the day and got some new ideas and inspirations for your own garden creations. Keep spreading the word and we’ll see you again next year.
The Gardeners: There are a lot of other people working behind the scenes who make this event possible. First and foremost are the gardeners. We had a total of seven gardens this year. Six of those were families who generously opened up their private oases for all to enjoy. The seventh garden this year was the remarkable Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being, which is a gift to the entire Park Hill community. All of the gardens were unique and inspirational, and all participants worked tirelessly to prepare. Not only do we want to thank them for their involvement, but for keeping Park Hill a beautiful community.
The Artists: This year, 13 artists shared their talent and creativity at the Garden Walk locations. These artists worked their magic and shared their creative gift for all to enjoy. Many have participated in the Garden Walk for years while some were new to the party. One of the artists is also on the Garden Walk committee. Thank you all for your support, whether this was your first – or your 19th – year of involvement.
The Volunteers: About 30 volunteers helped us on the day itself – taking tickets, answering questions and directing people through their exploration of the gardens. Thanks, each and every one of you, for your time and dedication to the Garden Walk.
The Sponsors: Some sponsors have been with us from the beginning and others are first-timers. Their generosity goes well beyond the Garden Walk, and include donations, community outreach and more. Several sponsors also help us by providing ticket sales at their retail locations. We offer two levels of paying sponsorship packages and one in-kind donation package. Check out the Garden Walk ad on page 11 for a complete list of this year’s sponsors.
Finally, thanks to the Park Hill Library and Park Hill Community Book Store for supporting us with ticket sales. A big thank you to Lindsay and Dan for hosting the Garden Walk after-party. And last, but certainly not least, thank you to the Greater Park Hill News, which works with us year after year to make the Garden Walk a success.
See you next year.