Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park Celebrating 10 years
A note from our Executive Director
It is an honor to join the Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park (FLSSP) in the year that FLSSP celebrates its 10 year anniversary of incredible stewardship and enhancement of Lake Sammamish State Park.
Started on February 14, 2013, by a small, but dedicated community of park lovers, FLSSP has grown into a full fledged nonprofit organization that is committed to the enhancement, promotion and support of Lake Sammamish State Park. Over the last month, I have been learning more about the history of the Friends group and the accomplishments of the Board, past employees, and volunteers. With the encouragement and help of our state park staff and volunteers, FLSSP has accomplished so much. It is worth taking a moment to reflect on what this small, but devoted organization has been able to accomplish:
Completion of a 1-million-dollar funding campaign and 2016 build of a fully accessible children’s playground;
Hosting signature community events welcoming more than 30,000 people to Lake Sammamish State Park;
rafting of a Comprehensive Trails Plan aiding Lake Sammamish State Park’s work toward more accessible trails for all abilities;
Partnership with community organizations to help restore and recover several acres of our natural environment and improve our salmon, wildlife, and bird habitat.
I am excited to be appointed the next Executive Director to help guide the dedicated team of Board members and volunteers as we embark on our next ten years of work to enhance, support and promote our community treasure. Going forward, we are working to expand our partnerships with local organizations, community businesses, and our local Tribes. We are working to enhance and ensure that our park is accessible and welcoming to all through improvements in our park trail system. We continue to expand our partnerships and improve our systems to conserve and restore our natural environment.
As we undertake our mission, I am open to and welcome your thoughts and feedback about ways FLSSP can help our community enjoy time outdoors and on the shore. I encourage you all to visit Lake Sammamish State Park and to help FLSSP ensure that our state park remains a vibrant piece of our local community. To help Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park work toward our mission, please consider donating to our organization or volunteering at one of our restoration events. Your time and donation will be used to make our community a better place to live. Together we can make the next ten years of our community state park the best yet!