For more than 19 years, Anchorage Park Foundation has been at the center of building community by promoting park and trail improvements and accessibility all over Anchorage. See the full list of projects we’ve accomplished in the menu to the left. View past Challenge Grant Projects.
Neighborhood Story: Kiwanis Fish Creek Park
“We really came together as neighbors to transform our neighborhood. I love that we continue to celebrate as a community at our annual Fish Creek Festival.” ~ Lindsey Hajduk, neighbor
The Kiwanis Fish Creek Park is a beloved close-to-home park connected to a string of parks along the Fish Creek Trail in the Spenard neighborhood. This popular park is often busy with pickup basketball games, pickleball competitions, social gatherings, and children playing. Over time, this well used park suffered from crumbling pavement, outdated equipment, and increasing safety hazards.
In 2011, the park received an F on its Park Report Card with numerous areas of improvement identified through community feedback. Neighbors organized to raise funding though the Anchorage Park Foundation for the Park and Recreation Department to lead a park revitalization. This successful partnership secured private donations, legislative funding, support from Rasmuson Foundation, and recruited many volunteers to turn this failing park into a neighborhood gem. This project inspired further investment in the area resulting in renovation of Barbara Street Park and resurfacing of the trail that connects these two parks.
In 2016, the Kiwanis Fish Creek Park improvements were completed and included a new inclusive playground, ensuring that children of all abilities could play. Hundreds of neighbors and community groups came together to plant trees and flower bulbs and remove invasive species. The ribbon-cutting event that celebrated the opening of the park has evolved into the annual Fish Creek Festival. This beautiful park highlights the power of community-driven initiatives.
