The Friends of Riverbend Park Inc. (FORB) had another strong financial showing in 2022 and continued its long-standing practice of donating toward many of the park’s activities, according to its recently released annual report.
But the non-profit group, which has about 250 dues-paying members, also is monitoring potential fiscal 2025 budget cuts being pondered by the Fairfax County Park Authority, which operates Riverbend Park in Great Falls.
First, the upbeat news. FORB in 2022 brought in more than $50,000 to support multiple projects and activities at the park, including:
• Donating $9,000 to support the park’s 2022 summer-camps interns. The camps were fully subscribed last year, the group said.
• Supplying $7,636 for the purchase of 12 single-seat and four tandem kayaks.
• Making grants worth $5,572 to Riverbend Park staff to cover continuing-education expenses, computer software, luncheons for volunteers, a Zoom virtual-conferencing account and animal-care expenses.
• Donating $8,000 to buy major equipment and appliances for the park’s new maintenance facility.
• Donating $3,000 in the fourth quarter of 2021 and an equal amount in the first quarter of 2022 for the park’s Forest Preschool startup.
• Providing $900 in support for a Lorton Station Elementary School field trip.
• Giving $1,000 to support the Riverbend Park Bluebell Festival.
• Donating $1,000 for the park’s Environmental Student Leadership Initiative.
• Resuming the Riverbend Naturalist newsletter, FORB’s annual plant sale and the Bluebells and Bald Eagles event.
FORB last year received an income of $51,666 and had $48,393 worth of expenses. Revenues from the group’s native-plant sale, which were $18,688 last year, have tripled since 2017, when FORB began allowing customers to pre-order plants online. The sale also includes a greater number and variety of plants than in years past, FORB leaders said.
The organization continues to support development of a comprehensive plan for park that takes into account the increasing numbers of visitors to Riverbend Park (it’s now about 400,000 annually) and demands placed on the site. FORB also will examine how to maintain the park as a natural-resources refuge despite those challenges and how the group can help the site become more self-sustaining.
The group kicked off its three-month fall membership campaign Sept. 1.
FORB leaders dedicated the group’s 17-page 2022 annual report to two active members of the Riverbend Park community who died last year:
• Paul Gene Anderson, who died Feb. 15, 2022. He had been instrumental in FORB’s early formation and growth, serving as a director and later as its second president in 2006 and 2007, FORB leaders said.
• Nelda LaTeef, who died of cancer Sept. 30 last year. She and her family loved Riverbend Park, FORB leaders wrote in the report.
“Nelda would ride her bike to the park almost every day which gave her constant inspiration for her career as a writer and illustrator of children’s books,” their tribute read. “Nelda’s father has a memorial bench in Riverbend Park dedicated to his memory, and which is now dedicated to his daughter, Nelda’s, as well.”
While 2023 has been “reasonably good” so far on the financial front, FORB leaders are keeping an eye on potential 7-percent reductions being considered by Park Authority, some of which would affect Riverbend Park. Such budget reductions could include cutbacks on trail maintenance and mowing and elimination of approved forestry positions, said FORB president Hugh Morrow III.
FORB was founded in 1999 to protect, enhance and preserve Riverbend Park’s physical, cultural and natural heritage. The group also educates the public about environmental protection and raises funds to support the park’s operations, programs and activities.
Morrow has served as FORB’s president since 2016 and said he is unsure whether he will seek another four-year term in 2024. He lives about one block from Riverbend Park and visits it weekly to collect donations made there.
The park “is a great spot,” Morrow said. “It’s refreshing and relaxing. The back trails are nice and not crowded. You see a lot of animals back there.”
To read FORB’s 2022 annual report, click here.
