Bringing parks to the people: TD Friends of the Environment Foundation celebrates 25th anniversary with urban pop-up parks
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TORONTO, June 1, 2015 /CNW/ - Urban communities across the country are getting a little greener. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) is transforming six urban concrete lots into temporary green spaces. Each park will offer up to five days of free community programming, such as educational workshops, fitness classes and live musical performances. Visitors will be surrounded by native grasses and trees, as well as log seating and tables, while enjoying these outdoor activities.
"We know that green spaces are vital to our well-being and our communities," said Mary Desjardins, Executive Director, TD FEF. "These pop-up parks are designed to surprise and delight visitors, and to bring to life the benefits of healthy, vibrant green spaces. Plus, what better way to celebrate 25 years of TD FEF than by bringing parks to people?"
A recent TD Environment survey found more than half of Canadians (56 per cent) feel most connected to the environment when they spend time at a local park or other green space. TD FEF's #GreenWhereYouLive campaign is designed to bring even more green spaces to communities across Canada by building the foundation's monthly donor base and raising funds for local projects. Each TD FEF pop-up park will include donation stations and, as with any donation to TD FEF, all money raised will help green the community where the funds are generated. In addition to the donation stations within the parks, donations can be made online and at local TD branches.
"Thanks to the support of more than 150,000 donors we've been helping to green communities across Canada for 25 years," continued Desjardins. "More donors mean that we can support even more environmental projects, such as schoolyard naturalizations, habitat restoration and community gardens in local communities. Since TD FEF's inception, the foundation has disbursed over $70 million in support of more than 23,000 community-based environmental projects."
TD FEF's parks will begin launching in June and roll-out until mid-August. The communities involved are Surrey, BC (June 3 - 7), Calgary, AB (June 15 - 19), Toronto, ON (June 20 - 21), Hamilton, ON (July 14 - 18), Laval, QC (August 5 - 9) and Dartmouth, NS (August 19 - 23). Elements of the parks will be donated to local community organizations once the park is dismantled.
To learn more about the TD FEF pop-up parks or to view a detailed schedule, visit fef.td.com. Visitors to the pop-up parks are also encouraged to share their experiences using the hashtag #GreenWhereYouLive on Twitter and Instagram.
About TD Friends of the Environment Foundation:
From schoolyard naturalization and energy conservation, to tree plantings and environmental education, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) is proud to provide funding to help sustain an incredible array of grassroots environmental programs across the country. In 2014, TD FEF supported over 1,000 projects with $4.9 million in funding. Thousands of donors give to TD FEF on a monthly basis, and TD Bank Group contributes in excess of $1 million annually. TD also covers the management costs of running TD FEF, which guarantees 100 per cent of every dollar donated funds environmental projects in the community in which the donation was made. For more information on how to donate and get involved in your community, visit tdfef.com.
SOURCE TD Friends of the Environment Foundation
