SDR Park Alliance :: The Fall Match!

Help us to raise $20K for landscaping projects in and around Hester Street Playground. Have your funds matched 100% through November 30, 2024!

This fall, we are continuing to work with Parks on (1) replacing the sand pit with a community lawn; (2) adding understory trees and landscaping to the east side of the playground; and (3) setting up an irrigation system. We need fencing, soil, fertilizer. We are hard at work, but we need your help. We have set a new goal of $20,000, to purchase items such as trees, soil, mulch, supplies, etc. to complete this project.

For the months of October and November, SDR Park Alliance President Anli Liu will match all funds, up to $2500. If your company offers matching funds, your support will make triple the impact!! Your donations are 100% tax deductible.

What have we accomplished so far? (1) Parks approved a plan that responds to the recreational and safety needs of the neighborhood for the section of the park from Grand to Delancey, funded in part by SDRPA $3.285 million in DRI funding. (2) Monthly cleanups that have drawn hundreds of volunteers to the Park. (3) Free performances by local martial arts, yoyo, dance, and lion-dancing artists to celebrate Chinatown's vibrant culture. (4) A growing garden along the east side of Hester Street Playground, along Forsythe.

*****

Sara D. Roosevelt Park is a gem in the rough. As the largest and most popular park in Chinatown and the Lower East Side, the park is a treasured space of rest, play, and gathering. SDR Park has always been a great place to join a pick up game of basketball, watch elderly play chess, or sit and enjoy local eats.

Yet, in the last few years, particularly during and after COVID, the park has suffered. Aging infrastructure and insufficient lighting have allowed drug dealing and violent crimes to occur, threatening the well-being of the neighborhood, and the schools, families, and neighbors who depend on the park.

SDR Park Alliance was formed in 2022, with our successful bid for $3.285 million from the NYS Chinatown Downtown Revitalization Initiative. SDRPA sees the grant as not only an opportunity to renovate the most troubled section of the park (from Grand to Delancey), but a way to catalyze positive change in the local economy and social fabric. We have been hosting monthly park cleanups, bulb plantings, and cultural performances to raise awareness of our mission and to celebrate our share space.

Will you join us by donating to our Giving Drive? Our board consists entirely of volunteers, so 100% of the proceeds are used for event operations and materials to directly benefit the park. All donations are tax-deductible, and all amounts are appreciated.

Yours,

Anli, Susan, Andrea, Amy, and Brian