Donate to help Improve Reger Park

Update: As we approach the initial goal of $7,500, and as GoFundMe takes a 3% service fee, we have increased the goal to $8,000. This will allow us to fully clear the goal and raise some money for a fun opening event.

The campaign:
Madison Parks Department is planning new $30,000 park equipment for kids from infants to 12 years old at Reger Park. With this, they have offered an option for neighbors to help fund an additional nature-based play area.

This will cost an extra $7,500.

The Union Triangle neighbors who attended the meetings with Madison Parks staff think we can raise the extra cash through grants, fundraising events and asking neighbors to chip in, which is why we've set up this Go Fund Me page. 

Reger Park's equipment enhancement has been scheduled for a while. But the narture-based play area addition is another chance to help Reger Park improve, stay safe and keep neighbors and the community's many young families visiting. The nature-based equipment will be environmentally-friendly and great for the kids. It also allows our neighbors to have a say in the design and aesthetic of the area we live in. To specifically influence the design,  please attend the next meeting at Hawthorne Library on Jan. 22, at 6:30 p.m.

The Union Triangle neighbors have already raised more than $2,000 for neighborhood improvements, much of which we envision will be used for this project. We are applying for a SASY neighborhood improvement grant. And there will be fundraising events planned.

Unfortuanatley, we don't have a lot of time to raise the necessary funds. The Parks Foundation needs the $7,500 in their account by April 6, or the nature-based addition may not be built.

Neighborhood and park history
After a shooting in the neighborhood, very close to Reger Park, in July 2014, neighbors came together to improve different areas of our community. One of those areas was Reger Park. Previously, drug paraphernalia was always found during neighborhood spring cleaning sessions, prostitution has been witnessed and it was a regular hangout for various nefarious individuals.

After an 18 month period seeking help to improve Reger Park that included meeting with Alder Marsha Rummel, Mayor Soglin, Madison Parks; sending countless emails,  regular discussions at SASYNA, and a trip to the Madison Parks Commission, the Parks Department finally visited with neighbors at Reger Park and put a plan together to partner with the neighborhood and improve the park's safety. The perimeter growth was trimmed, obstructive trees were trimmed and the solitary (broken) light in the park was fixed. They also increased regular visits by the Park Ranger.

To help make Reger Park a place for the neighborhood, we hold regular pot lucks, encourage young families to visit and encourage organizations like MSCR and the art carts to hold events there.

We hope you'll donate.  It means a lot to us. Visit the park, too. Once the equipment's in, you'll be able to look at it and say, "I helped build this."