Dear Friends,
Clemyjontri Park is Virginia’s first all-accessible playground and park for all to have a place to play and learn. It is located on the family estate of Mortimer and Adele Lebowitz who generously donated their land to the Fairfax County Park Authority in 2000. Because the Park is all-accessible, it must have specialized playground equipment and surfacing to allow easy access for all individuals, including those who use wheelchairs, braces, walkers or who have developmental or sensory challenges. The Friends of Clemyjontri was formed to contribute to the high costs of purchasing new equipment and to help maintain the Park.
In recent years, The Friends has raised over $200,000 for the purchases of the Liberty Swing, the Drum Circle, the All-Accessible Trackless Train, the Train Station and benches, the Celebration Area Party Shelter and the Big Top Party Shelter. The Swing, Train, Carousel and Shelters all provide revenue which defray Park maintenance. The Friends of Clemyjontri is proud to be a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, donating 100% of funds raised to the Park. We are an all-volunteer organization and we need your help!
This year, the Friends plans to help fund an Interpretive Nature Trail which will be located on the newly-constructed paved trails along the perimeter of the 18-acre estate. It will provide a quiet and peaceful respite, away from the activity at the playground. Children will particularly enjoy the Trail as they will be on the lookout for wildlife sighting (real and sculptural!) Adults will enjoy the trail as it will be a safe, educational and beautiful setting to stroll. The Friends of Clemyjontri is excited to contribute to this worthy project, expected to cost $80,000.
The Friends of Clemyjontri invites you to participate in the funding of the Interpretive Nature Trail. On a first-come first-served basis, you will have the opportunity to adopt and name a native animal sculpture for $10,000. A plaque inscribed with your name/company’s name and your native animal’s name will be positioned at the base of the sculpture. Alternatively, you may purchase a bench along the trail for $10,000 which will have affixed to it a plaque with your name/company’s name. Native animals available to be adopted and named include the following: White-Tailed Deer, Grey Fox, Blue Heron, Monarch Butterfly, Box Turtle, Rabbit, and Raccoon. A few examples of what the sculptures look like are enclosed! (Due to the custom manufacturing required to construct the sculptures and the fact that this project is in its early stages of development, we do not yet have pictures of all sculptures to share with you, although we expect to have them available very soon.)
Annually, Clemyjontri Park entertains over 200,000 visitors, and is considered a top destination playground in the area. It is consistently rated as one of the top parks in the country. We hope you can attend, and serve as a Patriotic Benefactor with a $25,000 gift or as a Freedom Sponsor with a $10,000 gift. We will immediately follow up to ensure your company logo and/or your name is included on the formal invitation, promotional materials for the Concert and recognition along the Trail.
Your gift will ensure that we have the financial means to continue Clemy’s well-deserved status as a very special place, beloved by so many!
Sincerely,
Rachel Georgelas
President, Friends of Clemyjontri
