By Dan Murphy
The Friends of the Public Garden lit 100 candles at the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common on the evening of Monday, Jan. 13, at a small gathering to commemorate what would’ve been Henry Lee’s 100th birthday, and to celebrate The Henry Lee Fund for Boston Parks..
Lee played a key role in establishing the Friends of the Public Garden – the nonprofit which in partnership with the Boston Parks Department cares for and maintains the Boston Common, the Public Garden, and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, in 1970. He would go on to lead the Friends group for 41 years and was named the organization’s president emeritus upon his retirement.
At Lee’s birthday celebration, Leslie Singleton Adam, chair of the Friends’ board of directors, recalled how he was on hand at the Parkman Bandstand on June 11 for the public launch of The Henry Lee Fund for Boston Parks.
“Parks belong to everyone,” Lee said at that time. “They are the property of everybody in Boston and that is not a statement; that is the law. But no park can survive unless people care about it. From their very beginnings, it has been public participation that has saved these parks, and it is public concern alone that assures their care and keeping. It is so important that the people who know these parks best have a voice in their care and I am humbled that grants will be made in my name to support people and their parks across the city.”
The fund, launched with the goal of raising a $2 million endowment, aims to “provide small grants for tree and sculpture care and support special projects in public greenspaces in neighborhoods throughout Boston,” on an annual basis, with a designated committee reviewing all applications, according to the Friends.
Community groups, civic leaders, park advocates, and other nonprofit organizations are invited to submit funding proposals through an RFP (Request for Proposals) process, which is now open and accepting applications until Friday, Feb. 28. Grantee awards are expected to be announced in early April.
Visit https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/leefund-application/ for more information.