Friends of Lewes Canalfront Park make $10,000 donation
A $10,000 donation to the Lewes Canalfront Park endowment and the appointment of six new board members highlighted the 10th anniversary meeting of the Dec. 16 Friends of the Lewes Canalfront Park advisory board meeting.
This year's $10,000 gift brings the Friends' total donations to $60,000. The endowment now stands at $161,200, which generates 5 percent of its principal each year to the Lewes Parks and Recreation group for support of parks upkeep and repairs.
In addition, the Friends has contributed $54,000 toward park projects, including signage, a water fountain, outdoor chess and checkers tables, and support for a new floating dock.
In past years, the advisory board has developed and managed a series of events at the park, including Pooches in the Park, Oktoberfest, Children's Theatre, a Play in the Park, Picnic in the Park, summer concerts, movies and an annual Easter egg hunt.
The most recent leadership group includes Chairman Peter Issel, Frankie Bradshaw, Diane Issel, JoEllen Jordan, Al Klineburger, Meghan Lee, Bob Kotowski, Rob Pitcher and Rodney Robinson.
According to Issel, the new board will focus on encouraging a variety of local and regional nonprofit organizations to consider using the park for their events, while continuing popular weekly band performances and movies in the summer. “We believe this approach can continue to generate funding for upkeep, while introducing even more people and activity in the park,” Issel said.
Friends also conducts an annual appeal for donations and offers membership to the organization.
The 2.9-acre Lewes Canalfront Park, a joint project of the Greater Lewes Foundation and the City of Lewes, opened in August 2009 after 10 years of negotiations, design and fund development efforts. Several years into the project, the original plan was expanded when state environmental officials decided to move the existing boat ramp from next to the Lightship Overfalls to its current location at the end of Pilottown Road.
Friends of the Lewes Canalfront Park is a component fund of the Greater Lewes Foundation. Contact Issel at 443-629-0031 for more information.
