Welcome. Friends of Danneel Park, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, has signed an agreement with the City of New Orleans and KaBOOM! to install new play equipment on July 11, 2009.

Dear Friends,

The dream of Danneel Park being renovated is finally coming true!!!!

The Hurstville Neighborhood Association and neighborhood parents have formed Friends of Danneel Park, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization devoted to the renovation of Danneel Park. We have raised approximately $150,000, have signed an agreement with the City of New Orleans and KaBOOM! (the national non-profit dedicated to developing public play spaces). We are seeking donations and volunteers on July 11 to help us build a new play structure.

But we need to raise more funds!!!! We need to raise an additional $ 75,000 for the initial play equipment phase of the project. We intend to keep the playground as it is but with new, safe, fun play equipment for our kids. A toddler area will remain inside the fenced area (city has agreed to replace or repair fence), and there will be a 5-12 play structure . The initial phase will include swings for the toddlers. After the initial play equipment we will raise additional funds to landscape, re-build shelter, install more trash cans, level the field (fill holes) and install doggie bag dispensers with signs urging dog owners to clean up after their pets.

We believe that the final phases will cost an additional $75,000. Danneel Park holds a special place in many of our lives. We grew up playing there, our children play there and for some of us our grandchildren play there (or will play there). Due to lengthy contract negotiations with the city we have very little time to raise the rest of the funds. Please contribute what you can so we can see this to fruition!!!

Levels of Support

$50.00 Supporter
$150.00 Friend
$250.00 Benefactor
$500.00 Patron
$1000.00 Silver Circle
$2500.00 Gold Circle
$5000.00 Platinum Circle
and above

For more information or to make a donation, please visit our website at http://danneelpark.ning.com. We will need 250-300 adults on July 11 to install the new play equipment. To volunteer, please email your name, address, email address and phone number to danneelpark@yahoo.com , indicating that you are at least 18 years of age.

The JCC and Newman School are our community partners, and the JCC serves as our fiscal agent.

We greatly appreciate all help and contributions but it is our children who will be the most appreciative!

Sincerely,

Friends of Danneel Park
Committee Members: J. Marshall Page, III, Chairman; Lisa DiRe, Gretchen Dondis, Penny B. Evins, Mamie Favor, Francis Fayard, Mamie Sterxk Gasperecz Amy Gainsburgh-Haspel, Jennifer Heebe, Christian Hooper, Quinn Jones, Shannon Foley Jones, Robin Kanner, Anne Birdsong Knister, Katherine Muslow Koeppel, Shelley Landrieu, Anne Mueller, Murray P. Nelson, Machelle W. Payne, Michael H. Pinkerton, Felicia Rabito, Robert Rosen, Virginia Freeman Rowan and Laurie Williams.

We need your help! The installation will require 250 adult volunteers on July 11. Also, although we have funds to get started with the KaBOOM! equipment, we need additional funds for play equipment and for swings, trees, landscaping, field repairs, a new shelter and other phases of our renovation plan.

To Help.

• To help on July 11, please send an email to danneelpark@yahoo.com with your name, address, phone number, and email address. Please indicate whether or not you are at least 18 years of age.

• To donate money, please click the “Donate” button or mail a check payable to Friends of Danneel Park, Inc., 5500 Prytania Street, #220, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 (checks save us the cost of credit card and PayPal fees).

• For in-kind donations that we will need on July 11 (such as food, drinks, tools, portable toilets, DJ, etc.), please contact Quinn Jones at quinn@cabildostaffing.com.

Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of applicable law.

Renovation Plan. Our renovation plan has several phases, including:

• a new 3500 SF play station
• new baby swings and play stations for young children which will be located inside the fence
• a new, modest shelter
• leveling, filling and re-sodding the field
• planting of new trees and re-landscaping the park
• new benches, trash cans and bag dispensers for pet waste
• repair or replacement of the street lights, water fountain, fence and park entrance.

KaBOOM! KaBOOM! will purchase the play equipment, provide the park design and manage the renovation process. KaBOOM! is a national non-profit dedicated to development of public playspaces. www.kaboom.org.

NORD. The New Orleans Recreation Department, which owns Danneel Park, will remove the existing equipment, install concrete sub-surfacing, purchase a portion of the safety surfacing and repair the fence, street lights, water fountain and park entrance.

Our Community Partners. The New Orleans Jewish Community Center and Isidore Newman School have partnered with Friends of Danneel to provide access to facilities, personnel and expertise. The JCC serves as fiscal agent for Friends of Danneel.

Our Planning Committee. Our Planning Committee consists of neighborhood parents devoted to the renovation of Danneel Park. Our subcommittees are:

Chairman: J. Marshall Page, III
At Large: Frances Fayard, Jennifer Heebe, Anne Birdsong Knister, Katherine Muslow Koeppel, Murray P. Nelson, Felicia Rabito and Virginia Freeman Rowan
Construction & Maintenance: Christian Hooper and Robert Rosen
Food: Machelle W. Payne and Mamie Sterxk Gasperecz
Fundraising &; Resources: Mamie Favor, Shannon Foley Jones and Anne Mueller
Green Committee: Pallie Thompson
Logistics: Quinn Jones
Public Relations: Shelley Landrieu and Robin Kanner
Recruitment and Registration: Lisa DiRe and Amy Gainsburgh-Haspel
Safety: Gretchen Dondis and Laurie Williams
Online Community: Michael H. Pinkerton
Youth Involvement: Penny B. Evins

If you have a special interest in one of these subcommittees, please indicate that in your e-mail to Amy and Lisa.