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Brad Sherwood
707-570-7448
admin@markwestarea.org

Press releases:

January 31, 2024

SOLD! Fundraising goal achieved to purchase property of new Mark West Area Community Park
Ribbon cutting ceremony planned for March 2 at 11am at park property

(Santa Rosa, CA) The Mark West Area Community Fund (Fund) and Sonoma Land Trust today announced that they have successfully closed escrow on the park property after reaching the fundraising goal of $1.8M. A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for March 2 at 11am at the park property to celebrate the milestone.

“The Mark West Area Community Fund is excited to announce that we have closed escrow on the park property after reaching our fundraising,” said Brad Sherwood, president of the Mark West Area Community Fund Board of Directors.  “We achieved this goal through the generous donations of our community and incredible partnership with Sonoma Land Trust.  The vision set forth by our Tubbs Fire rebuild block captains to build an official park to serve as a plaza for community gatherings that will support our ongoing rebuilding and community building efforts is becoming a reality.  We are thankful and appreciative of the donors that helped make this happen.  This includes the in-kind donations from our community.  We look forward to the next stage of designing and building the park for our community.” A full list of donations received, and in-kind contributions can be found at markwestarea.org/donors.

Sonoma Land Trust has provided support for the acquisition of the property while the Fund organized its 501(c)(3) IRS standing and organizational set-up.

John McCaull, Sonoma Land Trust’s Director of Land Acquisitions said, “The Sonoma Land Trust is proud to work with the Mark West Area Community Fund to establish a new urban park in an area with limited access to nature as part of our Nature Nearby strategy. Parks like this one provide multiple benefits to communities including clean air, natural cooling zones, and space to gather and recreate. This collaboration also demonstrates our commitment to provide technical assistance and fundraising support to ensure that everyone in Sonoma County has nearby open spaces and parks co-created with their communities.”

Prior to the Tubbs Fire in 2017, the property was home to a preschool.  The preschool was destroyed by the fire and was never rebuilt, leaving the property for last six years.  The Fund will next focus on park design, development, and ongoing fundraising to support park operations and maintenance.  The Fund’s website (www.markwestarea.org) provides an opportunity for community input on park amenities.  The Fund is also coordinating with the Mark West Union School District to receive park ideas from its students.  The deadline for submitting park ideas is November 1, 2023. 

Donations are still needed to help construct the park.  Most recently, the Mark West Area Community Fund received a generous grant from the Saba Foundation for nearly $300,000.  The grant will be used to help both acquire the property and construct a children’s playground. 

"The new Mark West Area Community Park and playground are located directly across the street from a property owned by Gudrun Block-Sabanovich, the founder of the Saba Foundation,” said Lewis Warren, president of the Saba Foundation. "Gudrun’s property — as well as her home on Wikiup Drive — were also lost in the Tubbs Fire.  Given Gudrun’s interest in developing and operating playgrounds for children, we cannot think of a more fitting investment for the Saba Foundation than this grant to the Mark West Area Community Fund to redevelop this parcel for the benefit of so many children and families, many of whom were directly impacted by the Tubbs Fire.” Established in 2018, the Saba Foundation carries out its grantmaking in Sonoma County, CA. The foundation’s funding priorities include supporting efforts that prevent abuse and cruelty to animals, financial aid to children with developmental disabilities, and the acquisition, development, and operation of parks and playgrounds for children.

“We are grateful for the Saba Foundation grant which will help us both acquire the property and build the best children’s playground in the Mark West Area,” said Sherwood.  “We will continue to seek grant funding for park construction along with in-kind support from local contractors, landscapers – all the skills we need for building the park.  This is a community driven process, so we welcome all input and help.” 

Below are just some of the donors that helped the Mark West Area Community Fund reach its fundraising goal to purchase the property – for a complete list visit markwestarea.org/donors:

Sonoma County Ag + Open Space: $1.169 million through Ag + Open Space’s Matching Grant Program award to Sonoma Land Trust

Saba Foundation: $290,885 from the Foundation’s grant program supporting the acquisition of the property and funding the construction of a children’s playground in 2024.

Mark West Area Municipal Advisory Council:  $250,000 from the Council’s neighborhood improvement grant program

Supervisor James Gore: $437,500 from Supervisor Gore’s District 4 infrastructure funding budget

Community Fundraising: $34, 669 from individual donations

Sutter Health:  $20,000

California American Water:  $10,500

Jackson Family Wines:  $10,000

Mark West Area Chamber of Commerce:  $10,000

To learn more about the Mark West Area Community Fund, volunteer, donate or keep updated on the park, please visit www.markwestarea.org.  

News articles:

Mark West Area Community Fund holds open house to raise money for new community park
Press Democrat
August 26, 2023