East Cobb Park volunteer group seeks new members, energy

East Cobb Park was formally dedicated in June 2003 as the first public-private partnership for a park in Cobb County.

The all-volunteer, non-profit group that worked with Cobb County Parks, the Friends for the East Cobb Park, was founded four years before that, from an initiative of the East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.

The interest, excitement and support of that start-up period is reflected on plaques on a kiosk at the entrance to the park.

The “Charter Leaf” members represent notable East Cobb individuals, businesses and other organizations. A cluster of special stones on the ground around it also contain the names of financial contributors, as do names emblazoned on park benches.

By almost every measure, East Cobb Park has been a spectacular success and increasingly popular, as citizens and groups frequent its 13 acres as the area’s first passive park.

But as the park is set to mark its 20th anniversary this summer, the volunteers organization that stages concerts and other special events is looking for a few more volunteer hands to help out.

The Friends for the East Cobb Park is seeking new members, not just to donate time and money, but also to help take a more active role in plotting out the future of the park.

“Our mission is to enhance the community experience,” Friends president Kurt von Borries said in a recent interview with East Cobb News. “It’s the best cultural asset we have in East Cobb.”

He said the Friends group currently has around 60 members, and there’s no specific target for growth, just to add “as many as we can.”

The group, which relies 100 percent on donations, spent $20,000 last year to replace the front playground fencing.

Cobb PARKs provides most of the maintenance, including recent repairs along the Sewell Mill Creek streambank extending to Fullers Park, and citizens wishing to book a pavilion also go through the county.

The Friends group handles special events and what he generally calls cultural programming.

There are limits on what it can do, von Borries said, because of parking and restroom facilities.

When planning for a concert, he said, the estimated cap is around 150 people, although that figure is often exceeded.

“There’s nowhere to expand,” he said. 

Attracting vendors also is a challenge because any money they make above costs goes to the Friends group.

Raising funds through individual sponsorships poses other issues. All 47 park benches, Borries said, have been dedicated, and they’re not adding any more for the time being due to supply chain issues.

“We’re out of room” for additional revenue opportunities in that regard.

The Friends group also sells sponsorships for newly planted as well as existing trees in the park.

The organization is seeking out additional corporate sponsors, in addition to Wellstar Health Systems, which makes a donation for Music in the Park, a series of spring and fall concerts, and the Holiday Lights celebration in December.

Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, a long association with the East Cobb Civitan Association, which raised funds for the park through its Wine and Vine event, has come to an end.

That’s diminished what’s available in the Friends’ banking account, which von Borries said is generally healthy and that “we can do some things.”

The desire to do more things has spurred some new creative approaches as the group shores up its financial resources, including borrowing from its foundation to help fund the playground fence.

Von Borries, who’s also a member of the Rotary Club of East Cobb, said plans are in the works with that organization to stage two family-friendly movies—one in spring and the other in the fall—on a big screen at the concert shell.

“We’re excited about that,” he said.

Streamlining the process for membership renewal is another task the Friends group is undertaking. Getting automatic notices online that can be paid electronically is a top priority.

Members can renew or join at various levels, starting with the $25 “garden leaf supporter” category to $1,000 as a “diamond leaf” sponsor, either at a monthly or annual rate.

They also can donate at custom levels and in honor or memory of someone. All contributions are tax deductible, since the Friends group is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Volunteer opportunities are across the board, from events and marketing to fundraising and creek clean-up activities.

Von Borries said a clean-up has been tentatively scheduled for May 6, and the Friends group also wants to hold a member appreciation event in the near future.

“It’s my wish that it will be stylish to say that you’re a supportive member of East Cobb Park,” he said. “How we can get there, we haven’t yet figured that out.”

East Cobb Park Events in 2023