Madison Parks Foundation celebrates 130 Years of Madison Parks with the Launch of a $10 Million Parks For All Campaign

This July, the Madison Parks Foundation and Madison Parks will celebrate the 130-year anniversary of the Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association (MPPDA) that was responsible for forming the Madison Parks System that we know and love today. To secure ongoing access and improvements to our parks in perpetuity, the Madison Parks Foundation is establishing a new Parks For All Trust.

The association started with the dream of making parkland and the lakes accessible to not only the wealthy, but to all members of the community. John Olin and Edward Owen collaborated to start the MPPDA and then to acquire more parkland and pleasure drive areas, joining with fellow philanthropists like William and Anna Vilas, Daniel Tenney, Michael Olbrich, and others. Organizers wanted to ensure that people had the opportunity to enjoy greenspace and natural areas. Support for the association was so strong that as much as 75% of the population contributed time, talents, and resources.

John Olin, the father of our park system, started his own trust that continues to contribute to our park system today, more than 100 years later.  It is with this in mind that the Madison Parks Foundation is embarking on a Parks For All Trust Campaign to raise funds that will support our parks in perpetuity.  The Foundation will announce the launch of the Parks For All Trust Campaign at the 130-year anniversary celebration on Sunday, July 21 at The Glen Golf Park. The primary purpose of this Trust will be to generate more use of Madison parks by supporting programming, capital projects, and the development of other such enhancements to our parks that drive inclusivity and access, unfunded by tax dollars.

The Parks For All Trust is now the modern-day version of the 100-year-old Olin Trust. The difference being that this trust allows multiple donors – whether they can donate $1 or $10M – to be part of a legacy where contributions will support our parks both today and tomorrow.

“While $10M is merely a starting point, a trust of this size will be transformative, ensuring a better future for the thousands of children and families who use our playgrounds, beaches, trails, parks and programs in perpetuity.”, states Executive Director, Stephanie Franklin.

Today our parks are quite different than when they began. They are engaging, calling to all community members to enjoy so many opportunities that funding provides:

• Bring your family to free movies  in the park in a unique location;
• Get passes to the only city Goodman Pool, free to area youth who may not be able to afford it (youth season pass $60, family season pass $185);
• Enjoy beach water wheelchairs that allow users to enjoy public beaches and pools;
• Use rigid, non-slip beach mats to access the beach with mobility devices (wheelchairs, crutches, canes, etc.);
• Support goats at work conservation, a prescribed grazing program that uses goals to manage natural areas and control undesirable and invasive plant species;
• Listen to the Live at the Glen Music series—free-to-attend concerts provide access to local live music;
• Attend The Learning Series that provides free, fun instruction-based activities such as cross-country skiing, fishing, ice skating, bird watching and more;

The Parks For All Trust will have an impact on thousands of park users and their families for countless years to come.

About the Madison Parks Foundation
Since 1894, Madison Parks have added richness and vibrancy to the landscape of Madison. As the non-profit partner of Madison Parks, the Madison Parks Foundation helps our community conserve, promote, and enhance our parks. We exist to support Madison’s world-class parks system. In addition to our work helping neighborhoods steward improvements to their parks, the Madison Parks Foundation has identified areas that advance our equity and programming goals for Madison's Parks.