“A problem is a chance for you to do your best.”
Jazz pianist & composer
As many of you know, we have been dealing with a budget shortfall. These are challenging days and we are working on solutions to the challenges and it is time for all of us to do our best work.
We are so grateful to Forbes Mercy for his donation of $115,000 to pay for the outdoor exercise gym equipment at Chesterley Park. We will be working on it this spring and hopefully it will be available for use in early summer. This equipment will give people a chance to workout without cost. Mr. Mercy also gave funds for our Youth Sports programs. We will be working on putting that together and making it available for our kids.
We have created a fund for donation for our Community Recreation programs, like free concerts and movies. We are planning to have 6 concerts at Franklin Park on Friday nights, 6 concerts at Miller Park on Sunday afternoons and 6 movies at Chesterley Park, like we have in the past, but it will depend on the funds we receive. It will take everyone’s efforts to keep these free community events going. We have been working once again with the great staff at the Yakima Vally Community Foundation to create a very easy way for people to donate. I will include the QR codes in the Program Guide, but you can go to the Yakima Valley Community Foundation website and donate that way too. Donation can be as small as $1.00.
We have also created funds through the Yakima Valley Community Foundation for the Harman Senior Center, the Washington Fruit community Center Liosn Pool and Park Maintenance. The Yakima Parks & Recreation budget was reduced by over 1 million dollars for 2026 and these funds are being created to offset the budget reductions. Please consider us when deciding to give your charitable donations. All donations to the Yakima Valley Community Foundation are tax deductible.
We continue to plan for the pedestrian bridge at West Valley Community Park. We hope to go out for bid in the spring. We still have a little bit of permitting work to complete. This will be a great addition to the West Valley Community Park and will provide safe access to the park and to the schools.
As we continue to deal with budget shortfalls, please be patient with us as we work hard to continue to provide park & recreation services. Unfortunately, there will be less programs and services provided in 2026. We will be asking for volunteers to assist us with some of our tasks. Please let me know if you are willing to assist us. My email is Ken.Wilkinson@YakimaWA.gov. Together we can be at our best through challenging times.
Ken Wilkinson
Yakima Parks & Recreation Manager