Adopt-a-Park

What is Adopt-A-Park?

Adopt-A-Park is a program to promote community involvement in maintaining and beautifying neighborhood parks. The program enlist the assistance of civic leagues and alliances, businesses, schools, churches, local service groups, youth organizations, etc., (hereafter referred to as group/organization) to perform various tasks on a regularly scheduled basis in the city’s neighborhood parks.

What is the Purpose of Adopt-A-Park?

The primary purpose of the Adopt-A-Park Program is to instill a sense of pride for parks in particular neighborhoods through volunteerism. A secondary benefit is the creation of a clean, well-maintained park environment for all to enjoy!

What Does It Mean to Adopt-A-Park?

By adopting a neighborhood park your group/organization agrees to visit that park at least 6 times per year to help clean and maintain the park, and makes notes of any condition at the park that requires the attention of the Parks and Recreation maintenance staff.

Adopting a neighborhood park and helping to keep it clean and maintained extends your tax dollars by allowing park maintenance personnel to focus on major replacement and repair work, special events and other parks improvements that benefits all citizens of Chesapeake.

Most importantly, your group/organization will be able to take pride in the fact that you will be helping to make Chesapeake one of the most livable cities in the country.

Who Qualifies to Adopt-A-Park?

Local service groups, sport associations, youth organizations, churches, schools, civic leagues, businesses, scout troops, etc., are all encouraged to Adopt-A-Park.

What Tasks are Performed in the Adopt-A-Park Program?

The list of cleaning and maintenance activities to be carried out vary slightly from park-to-park, but the following activities are generally involved:

Picking up litter
Sweeping courts and pathways
Brush collection
Mowing, weed eating and trimming
Minor repairs
Painting signs, tables and shelters
Graffiti removal
Shrub and landscape maintenance
Reporting vandalism, unsafe conditions, major maintenance and unlawful activities

The Parks and Recreation Department will provide trash bags, gloves, brooms, rakes, hand tools, paint, paint brushes and other supplies needed to clean and maintain an adopted park.

How will My Efforts be Recognized?

First, adopting and caring for your neighborhood park will build a positive image for your organization. The Parks and Recreation Department will have an Adopt-A-Park sign made identifying the group/organization and erect it at the adopted park. The City of Chesapeake will issue to the group/organization a Certificate of Appreciation for its civic efforts during the CEIC luncheon each year. One group/organization will be awarded the Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Organization of the year plaque annually based on meritorious service above and beyond the agreement.

What are the Program Procedures?

A group/organization interested in the Adopt-A-Park Program must complete an Adopt-A-Park Application and return it to the address below:

Mr. Ray Wharton
Superintendent of Parks
Chesapeake Parks and Recreation Department
112 Mann Drive
Chesapeake, Virginia 23322

Applications returned to Parks and Recreation will be reviewed for eligibility and safety relative to the park desired for adoption. Parks and Recreation is available to assist in selecting a park appropriated for the group/organization.

Upon approval of an application, the group/organization must execute an adoption agreement along with signed releases by all participants. The Parks and Recreation Department will provide informational packets for distribution to participants.

The Superintendent or his designee will hold a safety and orientation meeting with the group/organization prior to the first park cleaning or maintenance activity.

Phone: (757) 382-6411
Email: PRGeneral@cityofchesapeake.net

[Adopt-A-Park Program Application]