DELMAR — Friends of Bethlehem Parks and Recreation, a not-for-profit organization working to protect, enhance and expand recreational activities and parks in the Town of Bethlehem, announced a matching donation campaign to raise funds for trail building and trail amenities at Normans Kill Ravines Park.
Delmar residents Mark Bryant and Lisa Callahan have pledged to match dollar-for-dollar all donations up to $50,000 designated for the campaign. Donors wishing to double the impact of their gifts for this purpose are invited to give to Friends between Tuesday, Nov. 30 and Friday, Dec. 31.
“We are thrilled to devote our 2021 year-end giving campaign to raising funds for Normans Kill Ravines Park improvements in partnership with Mark and Lisa,” said Joan Gavrilik, president of Friends of Bethlehem Parks and Recreation. “It is heartwarming to have Bethlehem residents so passionate about our Town parks!”
The 147-acre park is within walking and biking distance of the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail, the Four Corners in Delmar, and several of Bethlehem’s residential neighborhoods. It officially opened for public use this past May.
Mark Bryant and his friends spent a good part of their adolescence exploring the gorgeous forest, ravines, floodplains and Normans Kill shoreline that run through the present-day park. As an adult with a passion for mountain biking, he is part of a local biking group helping the Town improve the property. And he is as enthusiastic about the potential the park brings to local businesses as he is about the recreational opportunities it offers to the public.
“Lisa and I are delighted to contribute to the sustainable development of this unique property, which makes Bethlehem an even better place to live and play,” Bryant said. With the park being so close to the center of town and the rail trail, he anticipates “families stopping for lunch or to pick up a unique local gift, and thirsty bikers dropping in for a draft.” If it’s good for Bethlehem, “we’re on board,” he said.
“The Parks and Recreation Department is fortunate to have an established working relationship with the mountain biking community,” said Parks and Recreation Administrator Jason Gallo. “From mountain bike trail development at North Bethlehem Park to the annual Bethlehem cyclocross cup race at Elm Avenue Park, their group has proved that they back up what they say with sweat equity. But more funding could give a big boost to professional efforts to construct a planned 3.5-mile multi-use loop around the property and about an equal distance of concentrated mountain biking trails in the park’s center.”
Gene Primomo, Treasurer of the Capital Bicycle Racing Club and a friend of Mr. Bryant’s since their childhood days along the Normans Kill, noted that the CBRC board is already committed to giving to the campaign and is encouraging its individual members to donate as well.
“Our organization has been part of this amazing park from its infancy, and now we stand to help raise the capital necessary to make it not only a gem in our own backyard but a multi-use destination for surrounding communities,” Primomo said.
Information on making a tax-deductible donation is available at www.friendsofbethlehemparks.org/donations or by calling 516-200-4730. Secure donations will be accepted online via PayPal or by check mailed to Friends of Bethlehem Parks and Recreation, c/o Parks and Recreation Department, 261 Elm Avenue, Delmar NY 12054. Matching funds apply to gifts made between Nov. 30 and Dec. 31.
Friends of Bethlehem Parks and Recreation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, is a collaborative partner with the Town of Bethlehem Parks and Recreation Department, working to protect, enhance and expand its recreational activities and parks to improve the quality of life for all residents. For more information, or to become a Friend, visit www.friendsofbethlehemparks.org.
