2024 Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT

July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024

Dear Friends of Mill River Park, It has been an incredible year, full of incredible progress. The beauty of the river and surrounding greenspaces in the Park have continued to make an indelible mark on Stamford, becoming a staple for many in the downtown area and beyond. Progress is being made every day on the new spaces that will bring more friends to this community that we are building together.

Today, this annual report serves to highlight the amazing strides we’ve made in the last year, with thanks to our many invested individual and corporate donors, our board, our small and deeply dedicated staff, and of course, all the visitors who make the Park a highlight of downtown Stamford.

This year, activity in the Park continued to explode with growth. We started our summer early, launching our fitness classes and family programs in May instead of June, made a new record for highest year of camp attendance ever, and booked solid our entire field trip schedule for the year. We started work on the total rebuild of the Park Playground, and opened the Richmond Hill Riverwalk, formerly known as Middle Corridor West. Now, we are seeking out the remaining funds needed for the cornerstone piece of the Park – the Community Commons.

We are so honored to be working together with our friends and neighbors to be making the Park something that everyone can enjoy. Everyday, more and more people learn about the Park and love it as much as we do. Thank you for helping us make the Park what it is today, and continuing to support its progress.

We hope to see you in the Park soon!

Sincerely, Arnold M. Karp

Nette Compton

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS Our year-round roster of programming saw massive success, building on fan favorites and offering some new programming to expand our reach to new, untapped audiences that are full of potential. Our free and low-cost programs, including the family-friendly offerings like Sunday Funday Storytimes, Fun Saturday Morning performances and activities for children, Movies in the Park and the Easter Bunny and Halloween Trails, have been a great way to bring the community together in nature.

2024 IMPACT for Park Events and Programming

A OVER 20,000 Total

Sunday Funday 1,305 attendees

Fun Saturday Mornings 918 Attendees

Ice Skating in the Park 11,672 Attendees

Movies in the Park 549 Attendees

Fitness Fun 1,483 Attendees

Swing in the Park

Easter Bunny and Halloween Trails 4,500 Attendees

NEW Teen Programs

ATTENDEES

Third Annual Jazz Night

222 Attendees

Open Mic, Silent Disco, Project Music Performance

175 Attendees

OUT-OF-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING The Afterschool program finished its first year, serving ages 5 – 12!

Housed in the Whittingham Discovery Center, the Afterschool program provides care for elementary age children from 2 – 6 PM. Thanks to our partnership with Stamford Public Schools, we are able to provide free bus transportation to the Afterschool program for children attending the Stamford Public Schools. The program provides individualized homework help, on-site enrichment programs, field trips, and time to enjoy nature.

In 2024, we served 14 schools (11 Stamford public schools, 1 charter, 1 private, 1 Darien public school): Cloonan, Charter School of Excellence, The Children’s School, Davenport, Hart, KT Murphy, Newfield, Rogers, Roxbury, Scofield, Stillmeadow, Strawberry Hill, Turn of River, and Royle Elementary.

Our students received skating lessons at no charge on the Cohen Ice Skating Center in the Park. We also partnered with Bring the Hoopla, The Blues & Beyond, and Kids FANS to bring enriching, unique programming to our students.

2024 IMPACT for Day Camp, Vacation Camp, and Afterschool

167 Day Campers 76 Vacation Campers 30 Afterschool Students

“There’s a lot I like about the program! The staff is wonderfully interactive, and definitely keeps parents updated on any changes.”

– Jen S., Caregiver

FIELD TRIPS Our signature education programs for grades K – 12 are an enticing prospect for schools and groups in the greater Stamford area, providing hands-on experiences with nature and environmental science that many students don’t typically have access to in a classroom setting. This year, we partnered with Stamford Public School District to bring the entire third grade and fourth grade in the Park!

Half Day Field Trip Offerings

Bird Beak Buffet • Kindergarten Bird Bonanza • Grades 1 and 2 Sticky Situations • Grades 2 – 3 Forces and Motion • Grades 3 - 4 All About Energy • Grades 3 – 5 Habitat Hunters • Grades 3 - 5 Environmental Engineers • Grades 5 - 7 Resilient Community • Grades 6 – 8

Classic Field Trip Offerings

Soil and Nutrients • Grades 3 – 5 Water Sampling • Grade 4+ Leaf Pack Investigation • All Grades Native Plants Scavenger Hunt • All Grades Take a Nature Walk • All Grades

2024 IMPACT for Field Trip Programs 4,073 students served through 50 field trips and 2 in-school STEAM nights 18 Schools served in Stamford and Greenwich 13 Field Trips Accommodated Different Needs, including 4 Classes made accessible for differently-abled children 7 New Arrivals classes taught in multiple languages 2 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) classes

11 Title One Schools served, totaling 3,048 students in 36 field trips

HENKEL RESEARCHERS’ WORLD

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Henkel Researchers’ World is an education initiative designed by Henkel to introduce children ages 7 – 11 to the fascinating world of science by putting them in the role of an actual researcher.

The Henkel Researchers’ World classroom in our Whittingham Discovery Center has welcomed thousands of students through our educational programming, including field trips, Henkel Researchers’ World classes, and other drop-in programs.

Our Discovery Cart, launched in summer 2022, extends the learning from the Henkel classroom out into the Park! The Cart offers 15-minute pop-up experiments run by our Docents every weekend in the Park (weather permitting) and has remained popular with Park visitors.

2024 IMPACT for Henkel Researchers’ World Programs 2,141 students/children served Exceeded our commitment by 293% for the 2023 calendar year

“The program is cohesive and comprehensive in teaching students about the different types of energies. The activities are fun, interactive, and overall really engaging. Count on Stark School Grade 4 to be back next year!”

Fourth Grade Teacher, Julia A. Stark Elementary School

YOUTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: DOCENTS Our Docents program was launched in 2021 as an expansion of our successful Stewards program. The Docents program trains graduates of the Stewards program to enhance the Park’s outreach and help facilitate programs that connect the natural, historical, and cultural resources of the park with the diverse community.

In 2024, we had 20 paid docents, 18 of whom completed the Stewards internship. 90% of the current docents have stayed with us for over a year, with four of them returning for the summer while attending college.

2024 IMPACT for Docents PROGRAMS DELIVERED Discovery Cart Perfectly pH All About Bubbles Solar Watershed Table demonstration

Drop-in Crafts Bird Feeder Craft Papermaking Waterwheels Cherry Blossom Tours Low-Sensory Halloween and Easter activities

SKILLS DEVELOPED

Public speaking workshops with Toastmasters Financial literacy with AMG Career Preparedness and Networking with AMG Building self-confidence, public speaking, critical thinking and problem solving, customer service and leadership

PATHWAYS TO PROFESSIONAL GROWTH 3 took leadership roles as Lead Docents

Exhibit Activities Sensory Bins: Birds, Tracks, Butterflies Footprint stories Color and Light exhibit

YOUTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: STEWARDS Mill River Stewards internship program, launched in 2010, is a paid internship for Stamford high school students with a focus on increasing Stewards’ environmental literacy and awareness. This fiscal year, we served 24 high school students, bringing us close to a lifetime total of 200 students served through the program.

2024 IMPACT for Stewards Interns PROJECTS COMPLETED Mapping the plants in the park Streambed assessment Water quality monitoring Produced a documentary on spotted lanternflies and did a Q & A at a public showing of the documentary in the WDC

SKILLS DEVELOPED Teamwork Problem-solving Communication

FIELD TRIPS TAKEN Pathfinders Challenge Course at Scalzi Park to work on team building and communication Norwalk’s Veterans Park and The Maritime Aquarium NY Botanical Gardens Little Island Park and the Highline in NYC for innovative green infrastructure and park design UCONN Stamford Campus Tour Fordham University Tour

PARTNER AND PARK SPONSORED EVENTS Stamford Dances

Mill River Park and Stamford Downtown Special Services District (DSSD) hosted TWO evenings of dance, with headliners Thomas/Ortiz Dance and Connecticut Ballet, and opening acts by “Portal Norteno” Peruvian dance school, Pureqkuna Ecuadorian dance group and Ballet School of Stamford, Slowiane Polish Folk dance group and the “Kalynon’ka” Ukranian dance group.

,Alive at Five

Mill River Park hosted DSSD to hold Alive at Five inside the Park yet again, enjoying local food trucks, craft beer and cocktails, vendors, and more.

Hey Stamford! Food Fest

The sixth-annual Hey Stamford! Food Festival was held at the Park, spanning six days in August 2023 and was packed with the best food and live music around.

Mayor’s Multicultural Council Salsa Night

We were proud to once again celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in collaboration with the Mayor’s Multicultural Council, exploring the rhythms of salsa dance!

Oktoberfest

Many beer enthusiasts came to the 2023 Oktoberfest celebration held at the end of September 2023 by Parachute Concerts, and enjoyed classic Oktoberfest fare.

That’s Amore!

Italian food connoisseurs came out in droves to join us for a weekend of Italian culture celebration, despite some rainy weather.

Luckypawlooza

Dog owners and dog lovers alike braved the rain for this 2023 family-friendly fundraiser that jointly supported the local Lucky Dog Refuge and the Mill River Bark Park, featuring live music, adoptable animals, food trucks and more.

Off-Main Experience Art Festival

Presented in partnership with the Rise Up Group, this event brought artists and art lovers to the Park to express themselves and connect with local artists.

The Holiday Stroll

The Holiday Stroll from Parachute Concerts returned in 2023 with a spectacular walk-through experience featuring more huge family-friendly displays and a 30-foot interactive Christmas tree.

PARTIES IN THE PARK Located in the heart of Stamford, Mill River Park is a beautiful and accessible venue for birthday parties, corporate and community events, and more. With options for both indoor and outdoor event space, you can invite guests to enjoy the seasonal beauty of the Park at the Cohen Skating Center, the Brownstein | Selkowitz Carousel Pavilion, and the Whittingham Discovery Center. To book a party, contact parties@millriverpark.org.

2024 Dinner in the Park We had wonderful weather for our gala on May 2, 2024, celebrating the spirit of service and volunteerism.

This year, we were delighted to honor Senator Richard Blumenthal and his wife Cynthia Malkin Blumenthal for their years of dedicated civic service, along with our loyal corporate volunteers from Charter Communications, Henkel, KPMG, Reckson, our neighbors at the University of Connecticut, and our Main Street Garden volunteers.

Together, these organizations have contributed thousands of hours of volunteer service alongside our dedicated Landcare team, helping to assure that Mill River Park remains pristine for all.

VOLUNTEERS Corporate Volunteers

This fiscal year, we more than doubled our volunteer groups. Volunteers help our hardworking Landcare staff maintain the 30+ acres of greenspace within Mill River Park. Their time and effort help ensure that the flora and fauna are thriving and that the Park is looking its best for the Stamford community. We greatly appreciate all of our volunteers’ donated time, as well as their financial contributions.

Main Street Garden Volunteers

The Main Street Garden is Mill River Park’s own mini botanical garden, featuring an array of beautiful floral gardens and plants. Situated outside the Main Street entrance, the Garden would not be what it is without the work done by its group of dedicated volunteers for over ten years.

The Collaborative is deeply grateful for these Park champions, who work tirelessly with our team to ensure the Park’s lasting beauty.

2024 IMPACT for the Corporate Volunteer Program Total Donations: $17,500.00 # of Volunteers: 849 Total of Hours Volunteered: 2,512* *Equivalent to an additional full-time staff person in the park.

Photo Credit: Byron Soza of Alli Inka Media

EVOLVING PARK PROJECTS The New Mill River Park Playground One of the most beloved features of the Park, the Mill River Park Playground was built in 2006 by 1,500 volunteers over 5 days.

Now, almost two decades later, it is time to reinvent the playground space and make it more accessible for all to enjoy! We anticipate the new playground will be ready to enjoy in summer 2025.

Richmond Hill Riverwalk The Richmond Hill Riverwalk, formerly known as Middle Corridor West, was opened in October 2024!

The first public event held in the new space was on October 26 with a huge MuralFest event, featuring local artists, an on-site art exhibit called the Seed, and plenty of fun activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Community Commons In March 2024, Senator Chris Murphy and Senator Richard Blumenthal secured $4.5 million to support the construction of the final central component of Mill River Park – the Community Commons. In September 2024, we received an additional $7.6 million from the Community Investment Fund. With two dog parks, a shade pergola, permanent restrooms, and a welcome garden, this feature will solidify a vision for the Park that has been decades in the making.

Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Revenue

Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Expenses

City of Stamford

Administration $254,455 Fundraising $325,567 Program Expenditure/Park Maintenance $3,446,771 TOTAL EXPENSES $4,026,493

Operations Grant $500,000 Operations Tax Incremental Funding $1,215,000 TOTAL CITY OF STAMFORD $1,715,000 Individual Donations $168,732 Fundraising Events (net) $259,870 Fee-for-Service/Programming $401,515 Corporate & Foundation Giving $543,435 TOTAL REVENUE $3,088,552

Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Revenue Breakdown

Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Expenses Breakdown

Fiscal Year 2024 Capital Funding

Fiscal Year 2024 Capital Expenses

Capital Funding

Capital Expenses

Investment Income $48,918 City of Stamford — Tax Incremental Funding $817,278 Individual Capital Donations $60,000 Corporate & Foundation Capital Donations $566,280 TOTAL CAPITAL FUNDING $1,492,276

Construction Management $197,444 Capital Construction in Progress $631,140 Capital Fixed Assets $504,228 TOTAL CAPITAL EXPENSES $1,332,812

Fiscal Year 2024 Capital Funding Breakdown

Fiscal Year 2024 Capital Expenses Breakdown

MILL RIVER PARK COLLABORATIVE SUPPORTERS

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS

Legacy Grove

We want to acknowledge and thank all of our generous Park supporters who gave from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.

Special thanks to the donors who have given or pledged over $1 million dollars over the Collaborative’s 20-year history.

Cherry Blossom Society

Special thanks to the donors who have given or pledged $225,000 to $750,000 over the Collaborative’s 20-year history.

McKeon Family

Charter Communications

Don & Lisa Brownstein

Marilyn Clements

City of Stamford

The Cullman Family

Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation

First County Bank Foundation Inc.

Fairfield County’s Community Foundation

Dean & Laura Godown

General Electric (GE)

Henkel Corporation

The Suzanne McGraw Foundation Inc.

$49,999 to $25,000

Karp Family Foundation

National Fish & Wildlife Foundation

Vince & Linda McMahon Family Foundation Inc.

Selkowitz Family Foundation

Nestle Waters North America Inc.

State of Connecticut

David & Miriam Nissen

John & Paula Todd

Harley & Stephen Osman

AMG Wealth Charter Communications Dean & Laura Godown Richard Lukaj Malkins Holdings, LLC Pitney Bowes Foundation

Andrew Whittingham & Family

The Overbrook Foundation: Robin & Julie Graham

Michael Whittingham & Family

Patricia & Robert Phillips Reckson, A Division of SL Green The Rich Family Foundation Charles & Deborah Royce The Herbert & Nell Singer Foundation Inc. Structured Portfolio Management Synchrony Thomson Reuters UBS Barbara & Fabrizio Zichichi

$99,999 to $50,000 The Suzanne McGraw Foundation Inc. Marilyn Clements

$24,999 to $10,000 Mark Barbera Russell Berkowitz Senator Richard & Cynthia Blumenthal Nancy & Ralph Casazzone Castleton Commodities International The Day Family Foundation Fairfield County’s Community Foundation First County Bank Foundation, Inc. Julie & Robin Graham Horizon Foundation, Inc. Arnold & Lisa Karp Frank & Lori Mercede Park Tower Stamford Association Phibro Renew Oil Reckson RMS Companies Selkowitz Family Foundation

Marsha J. Shendell Stratfield Fund Thomas Tryforos The Velaj Foundation The Andrew J Whittingham Family Foundation Inc. Barbara & Fabrizio Zichichi

$9,999 to $5,000 Accurate Lock and Hardware Ashforth Properties Inc. Claude Bernstein Brownstein Family Foundation Carmody, Torrance, Sandak & Hennessey, LLP Susan Cullman Tara Doyle Cynthia Ferreira The First Bank of Greenwich Grade A ShopRite Keitha Kinne KPMG LLP Noah Lapine Scott Lumby Elizabeth & Tom Mantione Jon Marcus Linda & Vince McMahon Montagno Construction Jerome & Susan Rapoport The Rich Family Foundation Robinson & Cole LLP June Rosenthal Jim Shapiro & Cristin Tierney Silver Golub & Teitell, LLP Stamford Downtown Special Services District Harley & Stephen Osman Wellbuilt Company Wofsey, Rosen, Kweskin & Kuriansky, LLP Ari Yasgur

$4,999 to $1,000 Terry Adams Acme Electric Company Inc. Ron & June Ahrens B2R Consulting Engineers, PLLC Bartley Family Orthodontics Kerrin & Stephne Behrend Brian Capone Land Services LLC Ellen Bromley Maureen & Michael Cacace Centerbrook Architects and Planners Tom Cingari Miriam Cohen Kathryn Corbally Cross Insurance Jamie Delaney Denise & Nicola Doria Samuel Echezona Empire State Realty Trust Ernst & Young, U.S. LLP Esta & Jay Feinsod George Fox George Comfort & Sons, Inc. Saul Goodman Edward & Susan Greenberg Claire L. Helsing Foundation Bill & Jevera Hennessey Hoffman Investment Partners, LLC Juanita James Christopher Jordan Mitch Kidd Terry LaPolice Legal & General Retirement America Norman & Nina Lotstein Thomas Muller Shelly Nichani David Martin Alan & Lynn Pearce Robert Peirce Barbara Pierce Richard Redniss James Ritman

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS Alana & Jed Selkowitz Aga & Paul Senecal Shipman & Goodwin, LLP Richard Silver The Simmons Family Foundation Stamford Hospital Foundation Judith Steinberg Eileen Lynch Sussan Synchrony Steven Sintra Breena Toussaint Bill Tyson Denise & Tom Walsh Adam Whittingham The Whitmyer Family Michael Widland

$999 to $500 Stuart Adelberg Cathy & George Boyce Luke Buttenwieser Lynn & Stephen Cohen Harry Day Delta Fountains Fredric & Harriet Dulaney Garry & Sue Feldman Lewis Finkel Donna & Ed Fuhrman David Genovese Jeff & Risa Goldblum Emily Gordon Robert Granata Judith & Leonard Haber Jamie Heffernan Carmen Hughes David Kooris Seth & Eve Lapine David Lasnick James & Margot Mustich Rockefeller Capital Management

Frank Russo Lizabeth & Paul Sachs Ryan Salvatore Helen & Sheldron Seplowitz Grant Silver David Stein Robin Stein Therrien & Associates, P.C. The Watt Family Foundation Jennifer Young

$249 to $100 Guy Bailey Sanford A. Bell Charlotte & Mark Bishop Gregory Bomash Henry Bubel Ina Cameron-Winn Tim Cannon Peter Carriero Raiford Cockfield Linda Colucci Jeannette Compton Gloria DePina Bart Donahoe May & Vagn Fausing Vito Ferrucci Jimmy Fink Deborah Fins Bridget Fox Salvatore Gentile Gary Gepner Joseph Giancola III Frances & Gerry Ginsburg Irving & Marilyn Goldblum John & Joanne Goodreds Elizabeth Guerrero Oscar Gutierrez Barbara & Edward Guttman Arlene Hall Damion Hanson

OUR CORPORATE VOLUNTEERS Richard Harper Barry Hersh Elizabeth Huffine Karen Juul Steve Karp Edith Khayatt Nick & Rebecca Lai Stephen Lynch Elizabeth Mercede Jean Meyer Stanford Miller Garry Morton Carolyn Nadel Craig & Suzanne Olin Carol Paraskevas James Popper Jerry & Michelle Pusser Mary Lou Rinaldi Daniel & Zoe Schwartz Eugene & Frieda Shapiro Stephen Sherman Henry & Meryl Silverstein Heidi & Mark Silverstein Turhan Tirana Kelly Trahan Elliot & Emily Turner Juliet & Matthew Weissman Margot Zales

Up to $100 Marni Amsellem Jasmine Bresnihan Norberto Barroso Bruce Block Nancy-Jean Bono Sarah Boyle Catherine Castro Chyna Davis Katherine Gunya Gail Grosso Hofmann Dianne & Malcolm Houtz

Holly Hyman Ryan Janowski John Keller Mary Krayeske Wendy Lewis Grace Markovits Fatima Mawji Mark Mendelsohn Isabella Montenegro Luisa & Noah Montenegro Brooke Nilsen Robert Orr Kurt & Susan Ostheimer Benjy & Nicki Ratzersdorfer & Kornbluth Maureen Ronan Michael Sabia Jr. Nicole Shanahan Martin Ramirez Gunnar Sahlin Carolyn & Frederick Shulman James Simpson Patti Slavin Stephen Vesce Terry White Bradley S. Winters Karen Zambelli

The Ashforth Company Bank of America Boston University Castleton Crius Energy Deloitte Design Within Reach Developing World Markets Diageo Digitas Eastern Mountain Sports Ernst & Young Franklin Templeton/K2 Advisors Future 5 GE Harman Indeed.com InteliSearch Keller Williams KPMG Legg Mason Moffly Media Morgan Stanley NBC Sports Nestle Waters Nielsen Park Tower Pepsi Co. Philips Point 72 (Steven & Alexandra Cohen) Pricewaterhouse Coopers RBS Reckson Spencer Stuart Stamford Hilton Stamford JCC Starwood Hotels Target Thomson Reuters Towers Watson Trafigura UBS UCONN City of Stamford Community Engagement Viacom

OUR TEAM Board of Directors

Staff

Arnold M. Karp | Chair

Nette Compton President and CEO

George Boyce | Vice Chair Frank Mercede | Vice Chair Robert Granata | Treasurer Don Brownstein | Secretary Ryan Salvatore | Assistant Secretary Ralph Blessing Bonnie Kim Campbell Kathryn Corbally Keegan Drenosky Cynthia Ferreira Bridget Fox Emily M. Gordon Rev. Dr. Robert Jackson David Kooris Jon Marcus Shelly Nichani Matt Quinones Jim Shapiro Tom Walsh Adam Whittingham Michael Widland Jennifer Young Fabrizio Zichichi Nette Compton President and CEO Arthur Selkowitz Founding Board Chair

Mike Stake VP of Capital Planning Alicia Wettenstein VP of Development Marlie Saint-Surin Director of Programs and Administration Kristia Abraham Director of Education and Sustainability Tom Casazzone Director of Finance and Operations Britt Garth Senior Communications Manager Tiffany Wilson Senior Youth and Family Programs Manager Vincent Piselli Senior Landcare Manager

Staff (cont’d) Roselyne Opont Senior Private Events and Carousel Operations Manager Brian Sachs Landcare Assistant Manager Madhura Suryawanshi Education Manager Kristy Schutzman Horticulture Supervisor Katteryn Baez Marketing and Programs Coordinator Isabella Montenegro Development Associate Brandon Forlenzo Landcare Technician Gabriel Gardino Park Ambassador Alex Nelson Park Ambassador Jason Riendeau Park Ambassador and Maintenance (as of October 22, 2024)

WAYS YOU CAN HELP As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we rely on our donors to help us maintain, program, and build the Park.

Make a Piece of the Park Yours

Consider a naming opportunity. The Community Commons will offer a host of new, prominent naming opportunities in addition to other sites throughout the Park. There are also a host of programs and scholarships that provide essential support and opportunities for our community.

Make the Park Part of Your Estate Planning

Ensure your impact by including Mill River Park Collaborative in your planned giving. Options include making a bequest to the Park, naming the Park as a beneficiary on your life insurance policy, or establishing a charitable trust. Tax advantages associated with each option vary, so we recommend you consult with your tax advisor prior to making a giving plan.

Contribute to the Arthur Selkowitz Sustaining Fund

This important long-term fund, created in honor of Founding Board Chair Arthur Selkowitz, will ensure Mill River Park Collaborative consistently has the resources to support the ongoing maintenance, programming, and beautification of the Park!

Your support will help assure that Mill River Park Collaborative continues to grow and remain a vibrant part of downtown Stamford. For more information, send an email to development@millriverpark.org

Mill River Park Collaborative 1010 Washington Boulevard, Stamford, CT 06901 www.millriverpark.org (203) 989-0321