It’s Your Park Day • Pitch In for the Parks • Green Teams

Our third season of ‘Pitch In for the Parks’ was a wonderful success thanks to you!

The CPF is proud to have facilitated over 3,000 volunteers in a total of 400+ park clean-up events this year. As our map reflects, together we covered ground at parks large and small all across the city.

We first stepped up to launch Pitch In for the Parks in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Chicago Park District’s usual staff of seasonal workers was stretched thin, and we knew a first of its kind volunteer initiative like PIFTP could provide the extra support our parks needed. We were thrilled to see the effort grow quickly with committed community support.

We always kick off the season with our annual community clean-up event, It’s Your Park Day, hosted by Park Advisory Councils. Then from June through October, Pitch In for the Parks is available for any group to independently host clean-ups at the park of their choice. We also organize personalized Green Teams events for corporate groups at select parks in need.

Our team stays busy spring through fall coordinating registrations, personally delivering clean-up supplies, leading Green Teams events, and providing support to anyone who wants to pitch in at their park.

Special thanks to our generous partners for continuing to make this effort possible: Whole Foods Market (Presenting Sponsor), Banner Wholesale Grocers, Boxed Water, and Chicago Association of REALTORS®.

And thank you to our participating Green Teams for their generous donations, which directly help fund the community PIFTP effort.

It is the Chicago Parks Foundation’s continued goal to help park users and lovers become park givers and stewards. Everyone who pitches in is achieving that goal. We see a spirit of parks camaraderie and community responsibility among our volunteers. Cheers to another great season together!

2022 VOLUNTEER SEASON

3,090+ total volunteers

416+ clean-up events

130+ host groups

30 Green Teams

51 IYPD sites

Pitch In for the Parks

The CPF provides complimentary clean-up supplies for small groups to independently host clean-ups at the park, date, and time of their choice. Many groups commit to meeting regularly every week or month.

This year, over 1400 volunteers pitched in for 335 PIFTP clean-ups at parks citywide. All kinds of groups came together to participate, including aldermanic offices, schools, companies and organizations, neighborhood associations, Park Advisory Councils, churches, and crews of family and friends.

“Donating the gear to us was a HUGE asset, as we were able to pass it forward to the kids who were most interested in repeating the project in their own community.”

Celeste Harrison, PIFTP @ Berger Park with HOBY ILN

“Parks are the glue that hold neighborhoods together.”

Andy Burke, PIFTP @ Horner Park with Notre Dame of Chicago & Lake County Clubs

“The best part of my event was reconnecting with other employees outside of work and giving back to the community.”

Rajeev Arora, PIFTP @ Montrose Beach with Capgemini

“This is where people live, play and have fun. It is so important to keep our parks clean and safe for our community.”

Erin Kunces, PIFTP @ Union Park with gTech Chicago

“The best part is giving back to my childhood community.”

Michelle Flores, PIFTP @ Humboldt Park with Chicago Association of REALTORS®

“The parks in our neighborhood are some of the most impactful, permanent spaces for the community. It is important to invest time into maintaining them as a demonstration of their value and our commitment to them.”

Patrick Powers, PIFTP @ Winnemac Park with 40th Ward Alderperson Office

“Our community gets healthier and more connected in safe clean parks.”

Louise McCurry, PIFTP @ Jackson Park with Jackson Park Advisory Council

“This activity is a great way to connect with neighbors, meet new people and bring the neighborhood together to keep their shared community spaces clean, welcoming and letting others know it is a safe safe for activities and gatherings.”

Tara Locke, PIFTP @ Cole Park with Cole Park Advisory Council

“This is hard work! But it was fun to meet others dedicated to keeping the parks clean and to spend a morning in nature and feeling as though I was making a difference.”

Christine Zrinsky, PIFTP @ South End of Lincoln Park with Team Gold Coast Neighbors Association

It’s Your Park Day

This annual event brings dozens of parks together for a special one-day community clean-up event to kick off the volunteer season. In 2022, the CPF celebrated our 7th annual It’s Your Park Day with 560+ volunteers at 52 parks logging 960+ hours of service. Volunteers picked up trash, mulched trees, replenished playground fibar, and enjoyed community activities together.

“I use the parks nearly every day, and being able to play a part in their maintenance is fantastic.”

Mac Graven, IYPD @ Diversey Harbor Community Garden

“It was well organized and nice atmosphere. Good amount of volunteers showed up and everyone did a great job. It was intense but that is how it should be!”

Maja Vaughan, IYPD @ Eckhart Park

“Building community relationships can help impact change.”

Katherine Tanner Silverman, IYPD @ Mamie Till-Mobley Park

Green Teams

The CPF’s corporate clean-up program offers personalized two-hour clean-up experiences for employees to get outside, gather safely, and give back together. This was our largest Green Teams season yet, with 30 teams joining us at parks in need from June through October.

For many of the teams who work remotely or hybrid, this was their first opportunity to connect in person! We were also pleased to have several returning Green Teams who have pitched in with us in past years.

Each Green Team generously supports us with a donation, and this directly funds the complimentary supplies and support we provide to our PIFTP community volunteers, as well as our other vital park work as the 501c3 Partner of the Chicago Parks.

From Our Partners

The CPF is proud to have the support of our generous partners: Whole Foods Market (Presenting Sponsor), Banner Wholesale Grocers, Boxed Water, and Chicago Association of REALTORS®. Thanks to their help, we are able to outfit each of our volunteer groups with trash bags, supply buckets, water, work gloves, hand sanitizer, and promotional signage to recruit for their clean-ups. Our Pitch In for the Parks and It’s Your Park Day groups are encouraged to keep their supplies and continue pitching in on their own all year long!

“At Whole Foods Market, our purpose is to nourish people and the planet. We are deeply committed to serving and supporting our customers, communities, and suppliers.”

Nancy LaBreacht, In-Store & Local Marketing Specialist
WHOLE FOODS MARKET

“The work the Chicago Parks Foundation is doing helps to provide clean, safe and accessible parks in all Chicago neighborhoods. Boxed Water is passionate about keeping green spaces clean & safe for all to enjoy.”

Laura Golonka, Experiential Marketing Manager
BOXED WATER™

Thank you to EVERYONE who Pitched In for the Parks this season!

GREEN TEAMS

ALAS Ltd
Alvarez & Marsal
Avant
Camelot IL
Chase
Cisco Meraki
Codal
Cresco Labs
Cubs Charities
Daniel Management Group
dentsu Media
DWS
Edelman
Invenergy
JLL Chase
KPMG U.S.
Logiwa
Marketstar Foundation
McDonald's Corporate
Northern Trust
OpenBet
Rightsize Facility aka Wurkwel Ventures
Slipstream
Structures Construction
VelocityEHS
Zeno Group
ZS Associates Chicago & Evanston Offices

PARK ADVISORY COUNCILS

Ada Park Advisory Council
Armstrong Park Advisory Council
Berger Park Advisory Council
Bessemer Park Advisory Council
Blackhawk Park Advisory Council
Bradley Park Advisory Council
Buttercup Park Advisory Council
Cole Park Advisory Council
Columbus Park Advisory Council
Cornell Park Advisory Council
Cosme Park Advisory Council
Diversey Harbor Community Garden Park Advisory Council
Don Nash Park Advisory Council
Eastlake Terrace Park Advisory Council
Eckhart Park Advisory Council
Eugene Field Park Advisory Council
Friends of Portage Park
Garfield Park Advisory Council
Golden Gate Park Advisory Council
Gompers Park Advisory Council
Graver Park Advisory Council
Gross Park Advisory Council
Hamilton Park Advisory Council
Hayes Park Advisory Council
Jackson Park Advisory Council
Jane Addams Memorial Park Advisory Council
Jefferson Memorial Park Advisory Council
Jessie "Ma" Houston Park Advisory Council
Kelly Park Advisory Council
Kelvyn Park Advisory Council
Kosciuszko Park Advisory Council
Lake Shore & Seneca Park Advisory Councils
Leone Beach Park Advisory Council
Loyola Park Advisory Council
Mamie Till-Mobley Park Advisory Council
McKinley Dog Park Advisory Council
Midway Plaisance Advisory Council
Moran Park Advisory Council
Mt. Greenwood Park Advisory Council
Nichols Park Advisory Council
North Park Village Nature Center Park Advisory Council
Ogden Park Advisory Council
Palmer Square Park Advisory Council
Park #581 Park Advisory Council
Ping Tom Memorial Park Advisory Council
Pottawattomie Park Advisory Council
Printers Row Park Advisory Council
Rainbow Beach Park Advisory Council
River Park Advisory Council
Skinner Park Advisory Council
South Shore Cultural Center Park Advisory Council
Washington Square Park Advisory Council
Welles Park Advisory Council

COMMUNITY GROUPS

40th Ward Alderman Office
Accenture Chicago TDP
Amazon Business Coach Team
AMK Counseling
Arup OvaGreen
AT ConservATionCrew
BDO Counts
Better Business Bureau
Biosense Webster
Blue Cleanup Crew
BP Analytics
Bridgeport Mama Squad
CA Fortune
Canada Goose Chicago
Capgemini
Chicago Association of REALTORS®
Children's Home & Aid - Chicagoblility
Children's Home & Aid - SYEP
Circuit Court of Cook County Juvenile Justice
Civiltech Engineering, Inc
Clayco
Clean & The Gang
Beverly Improvement Association
Dart Container DCAT
Dream Team Cleaning
Dreamchasers United NFP & Kymbria Young
Edelman
Egg Strategy
Friends
Gateway to Learning
Gold Coast Neighbors Association
gTech Chicago
Hamilton Elementary Patriots
HCSC Value Based Care
HOBY ILN
Hunger Action Corps
Hyde Park Disc Golf
Hyde Park Junk Pirates
Impossible Foods
Infosec
J&J Lake Shore Chapter
Jackson Park Cleaning Crew
KemperLesnik
LinkedIn Black Inclusion Group (BIG)
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization
Lincoln Park High School
McDonalds (Center HR)
McKinsey and Company
Midwest Ismaili CIVIC
MW St. James Grand Lodge AF & AM
NAOP Chicago
National Honor Society Clean Up
Neon One
New To Industry - Travelers Insurance
NHS Members
Nuveen
p44 Summer Interns
Pariveda Solutions
People Church Love Is
Pilsen Cleanup Group
Priority Impact
Project:Vision
PwC Chicago Environmental Inclusion Network
Queen Beatrice Grand Chapter
Rainbow Push Stem & Sports Summer Program
River North Residents Association
Skinner West Room 120
Slack!
Starbucks D347 Store Leaders
Team LEWIS
TFI Youth Guidance
The CityBase
The CMFF Clean Up Crew
The Cool Kids Volunteer Club
The Railway Exchange Building
The Spaulding Ridge Band
TMS World Clean Up Day
Walgreens Insights Team
William’s Clean-Up Crew
Women in Song
Year Up Alumni at Exelon

Chicago Parks Foundation
The 501c3 Partner of the Chicago Parks

Volunteer Contact: Sonia Horvath
Community Programs Manager
(773) 505-9737 • shorvath@chicagoparksfoundation.org

We look forward to our 2023 season!