Friends of Memorial Park offers volunteer, fundraising help; board considers rebranding Bark in the Park

Stephanie Robinson, president of the Henry County Friends of Memorial Park, told the Memorial Park Board on July 22 that the group can support the park with volunteer recruitment, social media, event planning and fundraising once a superintendent is in place.

Robinson said the Friends would help gather donor and volunteer information in a shared location to aid fundraising and that the group planned to prioritize lighting as a fundraising project, including maps, QR codes and seed money. She said the Friends were also willing to assist with work on an ADA document if the board approved.

Board members and staff discussed the upcoming Bark in the Park event, scheduled for Aug. 16. Park staff reported that attendance and vendor numbers have fallen in recent years and suggested possibly canceling this year's full event and instead staging a smaller dog-focused activity (for example, a dog walk or photo-spot fundraising activity) to preserve momentum. One board member suggested partnering with 4-H dog shows or local canine groups to broaden participation; another suggested using five photo stations around the park as a lower-effort alternative.

Friends' leaders and board members agreed the new superintendent would be a useful point person for coordinating volunteers and that the Friends could help sustain events and fundraising until park staff capacity increases. The board did not take a formal vote on event changes but asked staff and volunteers to continue planning and to consider a reduced-scope August activity if vendor interest remains low.

Robinson noted the Friends currently have low membership and recommended building a volunteer list and donor base to support future park projects.