Community Foundation Chairman Robert Kallstrom gathers with Friends of Baker Park’s Patty Kettlestrings, Denise Gouin, Treasurer Charlotte Meierhoefer, President Jim Gugel, and Dawn Irwin at Culler Lake.

Community Foundation Fund to Help Baker Park

March 14, 2008: The citizens of Frederick County are fortunate to have a community park of unsurpassed beauty in their own back yard, one where the young and young-at-heart can safely gather to enjoy any number of community activities. Baker Park, a 55-acre linear park running through the heart of downtown Frederick, is one of the City’s greatest assets with playgrounds, walking paths, ball fields, a Band Shell, Culler Lake, and gardens for all to enjoy.

Since Baker Park opened in 1927, generations of Fredericktonians have enjoyed wandering through its grounds, have celebrated the traditions of a patriotic Fourth of July, have delighted to the sounds of the carillon ringing out its music, and have spent leisurely hours with family and friends at tranquil picnics by Culler Lake. The timeless treasures of Baker Park are part of the fabric of Frederick, and the community would not be the same without it.

That is why The Friends of Baker Park have turned to The Community Foundation of Frederick County to ensure the maintenance and long-term preservation of this treasured landmark by establishing The Friends of Baker Park Fund.

Friends of Baker Park President Jim Gugel said that the Community Foundation offered the ability to manage the contributions they have received to establish the Fund and offered considerably more exposure to the community than the organization could accomplish on its own.

“What better way to foster community involvement than by working with the Community Foundation to ensure the continued maintenance and improvement of Baker Park,” said Mr. Gugel. “Donating to The Friends of Baker Fund is a way for our citizens to directly support projects in Baker Park to preserve its many historic features and structures and enhance the park’s facilities to serve the growing needs of the community.”

Projects that The Friends of Baker Park will be considering in the near future include improvements to Culler Lake, upgrading picnic pavilions, and improvements to landscaping throughout the park.

To make a secure, online donation to The Friends of Baker Park Fund, click here. Checks may be made payable to The Community Foundation of Frederick County and mailed to 312 East Church Street, Frederick, Maryland 21701. Simply insert the Fund’s name in the check’s memo line. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Historic preservation and community enhancement initiatives are just two of the many needs identified by caring, generous donors who rely upon the credibility and expertise of The Community Foundation of Frederick County to fulfill their charitable dreams. As a leading philanthropic organization, the Community Foundation has awarded over $17 million in scholarships to deserving students and grants to worthy nonprofit organizations since 1986.