Our 2024 Volunteer Season
It’s Your Park Day, Pitch In for the Parks & Green Teams
The Chicago Parks Foundation continues to lead the first and only citywide volunteer initiative for our parks!
Our fifth season of Pitch In for the Parks was a great success thanks to you. The CPF is proud to have facilitated 2,950+ volunteers in a total of 382 park clean-up events this year. Together we covered ground at parks large and small all across the city.
We first stepped up to launch Pitch In for the Parks in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Chicago Park District’s usual staff of seasonal workers was stretched thin, and a first-of-its-kind volunteer initiative like PIFTP provided the extra support our parks needed. We were thrilled to see the effort grow quickly with committed community support.
We always kick off the season with our annual community clean-up event, It’s Your Park Day. Then from June through October, Pitch In for the Parks is available for any group to independently host clean-ups at the park of their choice. Our staff also leads more curated Green Teams clean-up events for corporate groups to get together and give back.
Our team stays busy spring through fall coordinating registrations, personally delivering each batch of clean-up supplies, leading Green Teams events, and providing support to anyone who wants to pitch in at their park.
Special thanks to our generous partners for continuing to make this effort possible: Presenting Sponsor Chicago Association of REALTORS®, Move-tastic!, and Boxed Water.
And thank you to our participating Green Teams for their generous donations, totaling to $31,000 this year, which directly help fund the community PIFTP effort.
It is the Chicago Parks Foundation’s continued goal to help park users and lovers become park givers and stewards. Our volunteer programs achieve that goal thanks to your PARK-ticipation!
2024 HIGHLIGHTS
2,950+ total volunteers
382 total clean-up events
80 total parks visited
25 Green Teams corporate clean-up events
$10,000 Chicago Association of REALTORS® sponsorship
$31,000 donated by Green Teams
Our Partners Made It Possible
Chicago Association of REALTORS® Presenting Sponsor
CAR has supported us since 2020. Their generous donation of $10,000 helps fund the complimentary volunteer supplies and our team’s work to make the season happen. CAR also hosts their own annual volunteer day with us, which this year brought 70+ volunteers to Jackson, Jane Addams Memorial, Garfield, and Horner Parks for a big clean-up on September 26th. Shout out to CAR’s Sustainability Committee and D77 Committee for their efforts!
Move-tastic!
This awesome local, family-owned company lent us a major helping hand this year as an annual partner. In addition to supporting our other signature events throughout the year, Move-tastic crews personally delivered supplies to all 45 participating parks in advance of It’s Your Park Day.
Boxed Water
Our supporters have been hydrated with Boxed Water since 2018! We provide in-kind Boxed Water to all of our participating It’s Your Park Day, Pitch In for the Parks, and Green Teams volunteers, as well as all of our other events and programs yearround!
It’s Your Park Day
This annual event brings dozens of parks together for a special one-day community clean-up event to kick off the volunteer season. On June 1st, the CPF celebrated our 9th annual It’s Your Park Day. Despite a very rainy Saturday, 288 volunteers braved the elements at 45 parks to pick up trash, mulch trees, and enjoy community activities together.
I enjoyed meeting River Park’s great team who are working hard to make a difference in our parks. I loved getting outside and doing some much needed spring cleaning in our parks - it felt good to give back. And the rain was a nice touch!
Jen T., IYPD @ River Park w/ River PAC
We had a DJ and people hung out even thought it was raining cats and dogs!
Vanessa B., IYPD @ Bessemer Park w/ Bessemer PAC
[My favorite part about volunteering was] giving care back to the trees in this park that give so much to all of us.
Dania C., IYPD @ Independence Park w/ Independence PAC
I participated in this event with my children and our favorite part was making sure that our park was clean and safe for the children. It was also great working without the other volunteers. The organizer did a great job of having everything we needed.
Jordan R., IYPD @ Kilbourn Park w/ Kilbourn PAC
[My favorite part about volunteering was] making an improvement to the park while meeting wonderful people.
Donna D., IYPD @ Mayfair & Kolmar Parks w. Mayfair PAC
Pitch In for the Parks
From June through October, the CPF provides complimentary clean-up supplies for small groups to independently host clean-ups at the park, date, and time of their choice. Many groups commit to meeting regularly every week or month.
This year, over 1,593 volunteers pitched in for 312 PIFTP clean-ups at parks citywide. All kinds of groups came together to participate, including aldermanic offices, schools, companies and organizations, neighborhood associations, Park Advisory Councils, churches, and crews of family and friends.
This was a great way to explore a new park and enjoy the beautiful scenery while making that same scenery even better for others.
Haley D., Pitch In @ Humboldt Park w/ Crowe Cares Day 2024
The marathon was yesterday so the timing of this event was perfect. So much trash and junk just around Grant Park that we were able to clean up.
Krush J., Pitch In @ Grant Park w/ Northern Trust - Omnium, Derivatives, GFS IT
I enjoyed stepping foot outside, serving the community, and getting to spend time knowing my coworkers.
Tim G., Pitch In @ Douglass Park w/ BDO Counts Chicago
Helping to clean the baseball field, soccer court and surrounding picnic areas was very satisfying!
Ariel L., Pitch In @ Humboldt Park w/ Chicago Public Library Humboldt Park Branch
Getting to share the opportunity with others who didn't know about how they could give back to their community!
Nic J., Pitch In @ various Chicago parks and beaches w/ People Church
The Oz Park visitors were so grateful that we were cleaning their local park. Many people said thank you to us as they were strolling through the park.
Elisabeth B., Pitch In @ Oz Park w/ Lincoln Park High School Friends of Oz Park
I enjoyed the nature. It was a beautiful day to be outside and make a difference by cleaning yup the community space.
Karina G., Pitch In @ Humboldt Park w/ PrimeCare Health
I appreciated that any materials required were provided and we just had to show up and help out.
Bryan S., Pitch In @ Union Park w/ gTech Chicago
Having an opportunity to get outside and give back to a park that I regularly use.
Alice W., Pitch In for the Parks w/ Chicago Association of REALTORS
Getting to actually see the impact of my work. We were able to provide a safer environment for those using the park. I even had one community member come up and thank us for our work!
Maia T., Pitch In @ Jackson Park w/ Jackson Park Conservancy
Green Teams
The CPF’s corporate clean-up program offers personalized two-hour clean-up experiences for employees to get outside, gather safely, and give back together.
Each Green Team generously supports us with a donation, and this directly funds the complimentary supplies and support we provide to our PIFTP community volunteers, as well as our other vital park work as the 501c3 Partner of the Chicago Parks. Thank you to our Green Teams for together donating $31,000 this year!
We hosted 25 events in 2024, with many returning groups from past years and several completing multiple clean-ups throughout the season.
Thank you to EVERYONE who Pitched In for the Parks this season!
We look forward to our 2025 season… Join Us In June!
Chicago Parks Foundation
The 501c3 Partner of the Chicago Parks
Volunteer Contact: Emily Beach
Community Programs Manager
(773) 505-9477 • ebeach@chicagoparksfoundation.org
PIFTP HOST GROUPS
48th Ward and District 13 State Representative
AAHC
Accenture
Accenture Learning to Lead
Alcott Elementary
Alpha Kappa Psi - Gamma Iota
Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity
American Express IL Blue Box Volunteers
AMS Global Day of Giving
Ascot Group ASEZ (Save the Earth from A to Z)
BDO Counts Chicago
BECOME and Friends
BR Roosevelt
Capco Chicago Cleanup
CDW Cleanup Crew
Chicago Chinese Children Club
Chicago EnvIN
Civiltech Engineering
CoyoteGO Clean That Park Up
Crowe Cares Day 2024 Volunteers
Cub Scout Pack 3969
Dart Community Action Team (DCAT)
Deloitte
Diamonds
Eckhart Park Advisory Council
Edgewater Cleanup Crew
Eli Lilly and Company
Exelon CAS/EAS
F3 Chicago
Feinberg DAR Green Team
FHLBC/MREA
Gold Coast Neighbors Association
Google FBR Chicago
GoogleServe
Green Teenz
gTech Chicago
Heidrick & Struggles
Horner Cleanup Crew
Humboldt Park Enthusiasts
Humboldt Park Library Branch
Independence Park Advisory Council
Inner City CleanUp Crew Jackson Park Conservancy
Kaufman Hall
Kelvyn PAC
Kepler Group Chicago
KPMG Interns
Leahy-IFP
Lincoln Park High School Friends of Oz Park
Luminate Trash Busters
Madewell Chicago
Maggie Cosme Park Advisory Council
Mars United
Mercy World Wide
North American Young Generation in Nuclear - Chicago
Northern Trust
Northern Trust - Omnium, Derivatives, GFS IT
Northern Trust EA & Cloud Team Northern Trust HFS/OMN
Northern Trust Strategic Change Data & Digital
Northern Trust, Risk ELT Beach Clean-up Team
NTAM Investment Groups
Oakdale Park Spruce Up Squad
Ogden PAC
Oracle - NAAC Gives Back
Oz Park Cleanup Wizards
People Church
Perkins and Will
Phoenix Sustainability Initiative
Photography for All
PrimeCare Health Clean Up Day
Printers Row PAC
PwC Service Day EnvIN Clean-Up Event
Railway Exchange
RAPPers: Park Cleanup Edition
River North Residents Association
River Park Advisory Council
RTM Engineering Consultants
Skinner PAC & Skinner Park Garden Club
Spaulding Ridge
Splunk for Good
Target
The Prairie Park Advisory Council
TMC - Eckhart Park Clean UP
UChicago Black Law Students Association
UChicago Ortho Clean Up the Parks!
Walker Group
Washington Square Park Advisory Council
White Sox Volunteer Corps
WPF Chicago Chapter
Wurkwel - Creating a Better Tomorrow