Help us celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Des Moines Parks & Recreation, organized in 1892. There’s plenty to be proud of!
The Friends of Des Moines Parks are reaching out to the community, seeking sponsors and participants for its 4th Annual FORE! Our Parks charity bike ride. Bike riders will pedal an 18-mile loop around city trails and parks before returning to the Waveland clubhouse to rejoin our golfing friends who will chase that little white ball around the Waveland Golf Course—oldest municipal golf course west of the Mississippi.
We believe this is the metro's only charity golf outing with a bike option. Cyclists will receive:
*Two $5 Trail Bucks certificates to spend at one the four official stops on the loop (Confluence Brewing, Mullet’s, Capt. Jack’s, and Saints).
*Friends of DM Parks cycling socks designed by Kim Hopkins of Velorosa ($15 value)
*a custom-engraved Park Tool IB-2 multi-tool ($15 value)
In the last 10 years, Parks & Rec staff has soldiered on despite suffering a staggering 30% cut in budgets. Yes, it’s been brutal, but Parks & Rec still needs to support:
*76 parks, over 4,000 acres of park and open space, 81 miles of trails, and municipal facilities including aquatic centers, cemeteries, community centers and civic attractions.
*Special events to attract diverse, multi- generational audiences for leisure, educational and recreational purposes.
The Friends organization is targeting two projects this year: a new playground for Chesterfield Park and Phase II of the Des Moines River Trail (Cownie Soccer Park to Easter Lake Park).
The golf and bike outing is our largest fund-raising event of the year.