The generous donation was made by the Garden of the Gods Foundation, with $50,000 from the Garden of the Gods Trading Post.
“We are extremely grateful for the wonderful collaboration between the Foundation, Trading Post, and the City,” said Karen Palus, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services director. “This is such a great example of community organizations working together toward a common goal, which in this case, is enhancing and protecting Garden of the Gods Park for the enjoyment of generations to come.”
The Garden of the Gods Foundation, a local 501(c)(3) organization created in 1994, works to improve the quality of Garden of the Gods Park by gathering resources and distributing grants that enhance and protect the park. It also owns and operates the Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center, which was built to give back to the park. Since its founding, the Foundation has granted more than $4 million to Garden of the Gods Park, a registered National Natural Landmark.
“The Garden of the Gods Foundation is proud of its long-term commitment to preserve and maintain the Garden of the Gods Park,” said Jan Martin, president of the Garden of the Gods Foundation. “Our annual contribution to the parks department to enhance and protect this park feels even more significant in 2020, and we thank the thousands of visitors who have continued to patronize the Visitor and Nature Center and the park itself despite the challenges of this year. Every purchase made in the visitor center supports the park.”
The Visitor & Nature Center was closed for several weeks in March and all of April and May due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened to the public in June.