Thank you to everyone who supported our third annual city-wide park cleanup day, Parks, Rivers, Trails & Trees! Whether you were a volunteer, a community partner, or a sponsor, you made an incredible contribution to this event and we could not have pulled it off without you. Events like Parks, Rivers, Trails & Trees remind us of the extraordinary things we can achieve when we work together and take community ownership of our shared public spaces.
On Saturday, May 11th, 2024, 474 volunteers spread out across 17 parks throughout the city to ensure our parks remain vibrant, sustainable, and accessible to all. Together, we collected 233 bags of trash, planted 1,200 perennials and 15 trees, and completed other activities like weeding, preparing garden beds, and sidewalk cleaning. It was inspiring to see so many people dedicating their time and energy to make a positive difference in our community. Each park cleanup was supported by Denver Parks and Recreation and hosted by a local partner organization (see list below) who helped recruit volunteers and lead the cleanup.
After the park cleanups, volunteers gathered at City Park Pavilion to enjoy a free meal from our delicious food trucks, visit our partner tables, play games, and celebrate all that we accomplished through Parks, Rivers, Trails & Trees. This year, there was something for the whole family to enjoy. Cornerstone Skate Foundation hosted a skate expo, the Colorado Rapids Street Team brought their soccer games, and Denver Parks & Recreation Alternative Sports Team set up a mobile climbing wall.
During a brief program, the Denver Park Trust presented the Lauri Dannemiller 2024 Park Champion Award to Allegra “Happy” Haynes for her dedication to Denver Parks and the greater Denver community. Happy Haynes retired in October 2023 after serving for eight years as Executive Director of Denver Parks and Recreation and also served on Denver Public Schools Board of Education and Denver City Council. City Councilman Darrell Watson, Denver Park Trust Board Chair, Shannon Fender, Comcast’s Regional VP of External Affairs, Ron Orlando, and current Executive Director of Denver Parks and Recreation, Jolon Clark, also made remarks during the program.
As Parks, Rivers, Trails & Trees continues to expand, we are inspired by the strong demonstration of community members’ willingness to roll up their sleeves to care for our public parks and green spaces. This sense of community ownership is the motivation behind the event and the reason it continues to grow year after year. When we all pitch in to care for our parks, we’re not just cleaning up trash or pulling weeds; we’re showing that we value these spaces and take pride in them, recognizing that they belong to all of us, and that together, we can keep them beautiful and accessible for everyone.
The Denver Park Trust is excited to continue developing this event. If you participated this year and have feedback, please use this form to let us know what you enjoyed and what could be improved.
If you’d like to participate next year, please sign up for our monthly newsletter to stay updated on details for Parks, Rivers, Trails & Trees 2025 and other ways to get involved in caring for Denver parks.
Again, here’s a huge thank you to everyone who supported this event. Your efforts make a substantial difference and your enthusiasm is contagious. Let’s keep this spirit alive and continue to foster park stewardship throughout the year. Together, we can ensure that they remain vibrant, welcoming, and cherished parts of our community for generations to come.
2024 Parks and Partners
- Benedict Fountain Park hosted by Denverite and Colorado Public Radio
- Chaffee Park hosted by Sunnyside United Neighbors, Inc.
- Cheesman Park hosted by Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods
- City Park hosted by the Denver Park Trust and Denver Zoo
- Civic Center Park hosted by Civic Center Conservancy
- Community Plaza Park hosted by Highland United Neighbors, Inc.
- Future Park at 44th & Pearl hosted by Birdseed Collective, GES Coalition, The Nature Conservancy
- Martinez Park hosted by Villa Park Neighborhood Association
- Park Ave Parks hosted by Colfax BID
- Red Rocks Park hosted by Denver Mountain Parks Foundation
- RiNo ArtPark hosted by RiNo Art District and Sustainable Movement
- Ruby Hill Park and Sanderson Gulch hosted by Ruby Hill Neighbors
- Sloan’s Lake Park hosted by Sloan’s Lake Park Foundation
- Washington Park hosted by Quinn Malin Szekeresh Memorial
- West Bar-Val-Wood Park hosted by Valverde Neighborhood Association
- West Tennessee Greenway hosted by Athmar Park Neighborhood Association
- Village Place Park hosted by Montbello Organizing Committee
