Support Noonan Playground in Sunnyside, Queens
Thomas P. Noonan Jr. Playground (also commonly referred to as Noonan Playground or Rainbow Park), located in Sunnyside, Queens, is a single acre of recreational space that serves as a primary outdoor resource for a community of over 60,000 people. In addition to standard play equipment, the playground is equipped with a splash pad, two handball courts, a basketball court, a generous seating area, and public restrooms.
Despite reconstruction in 2015, the playground has long been undermaintained and underutilized. A local newspaper even referred to the park as "gritty" and "unkempt" in an article published in 2018.
In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, our local volunteer group Friends of Noonan sought to breathe new life into the playground when NYC Parks could not. Through our Nurture by Nature project, the playground's greenspace — once underutilized and overgrown with weeds — was transformed into a flowering oasis. Through community fundraising, we were able to raise enough money to plant over 1,000 new plants in the playground and to build some much-needed fencing. Friends of Noonan also holds regular cleanup events to maintain the playground's beauty and to create a safe and welcoming space for the community.
Although Friends of Noonan has made significant progress, the job is not yet done and we need your help. Maintaining the playground comes at a cost, one that NYC Parks can not secure. Therefore, we are calling for donations to assist us in building up and giving back to the Sunnyside community. Your GoFundMe donations will help to support Friends of Noonan in our work, going directly toward the purchasing of cleaning, landscaping, and planting tools; new flower bulbs; metal fencing to protect the raised planter beds; volunteer incentives; and building a website to make volunteer sign-ups easier, promote playground events, and to hear from the community. Please consider donating to help us in keeping this beloved playground clean, safe, and green for years to come.
We are forever grateful for any and all support and we look forward to doing meaningful work with you.
Warmly,
Friends of Noonan
IG: friends_of_noonan
Facebook: Friends of Noonan Playground
Despite reconstruction in 2015, the playground has long been undermaintained and underutilized. A local newspaper even referred to the park as "gritty" and "unkempt" in an article published in 2018.
In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, our local volunteer group Friends of Noonan sought to breathe new life into the playground when NYC Parks could not. Through our Nurture by Nature project, the playground's greenspace — once underutilized and overgrown with weeds — was transformed into a flowering oasis. Through community fundraising, we were able to raise enough money to plant over 1,000 new plants in the playground and to build some much-needed fencing. Friends of Noonan also holds regular cleanup events to maintain the playground's beauty and to create a safe and welcoming space for the community.
Although Friends of Noonan has made significant progress, the job is not yet done and we need your help. Maintaining the playground comes at a cost, one that NYC Parks can not secure. Therefore, we are calling for donations to assist us in building up and giving back to the Sunnyside community. Your GoFundMe donations will help to support Friends of Noonan in our work, going directly toward the purchasing of cleaning, landscaping, and planting tools; new flower bulbs; metal fencing to protect the raised planter beds; volunteer incentives; and building a website to make volunteer sign-ups easier, promote playground events, and to hear from the community. Please consider donating to help us in keeping this beloved playground clean, safe, and green for years to come.
We are forever grateful for any and all support and we look forward to doing meaningful work with you.
Warmly,
Friends of Noonan
IG: friends_of_noonan
Facebook: Friends of Noonan Playground
Organizer
Friends of Noonan
Organizer
Sunnyside, NY
