Background
The Carmichael Parks Foundation is a non-profit public charity that believes recreation is vital to the well-being of our community. We are committed to supporting the Carmichael Recreation and Park District in expanding recreational opportunities for all, be it through scholarships, new program development, or park improvements.
Get to know the Carmichael Parks Foundation
The ABCs of what we do!
All kids have the opportunity to participate!
We provide scholarships to help cover the fees for recreational programs. This ensures that youth through age 17 can participate in park district-run programs without worrying about money being a barrier.
Beautiful outdoor areas bring people together and give our community character.
Park beautification and improvements are a vital part of our mission. We partner with other community groups and organizations to enhance park facilities.
Celebrating with annual community events.
We sponsor the annual events that so many members of our community attend free of charge, including:
- Breakfast with the Bunny
- Concerts in the Park
- Red, White and Blue Celebration and Fireworks Show
- Founder’s Day Harvest Fair
- Holiday Tree Lighting and Visit with Santa
2024 Highlights
Youth Recreational Opportunities
Youth Scholarships
Requests for scholarships continue to increase, accounting for a significant percentage of overall recreational program participation. The vast majority of scholarships are for the Kid's Hangout After School Program and the Summer Camps, providing parents with affordable and safe child care options.
2024 Scholarship Summary
Programs for Middle School Aged Teens
While many programs are successful in serving elementary school aged kids, providing programs that are of interest and engaging to older, middle school aged teens proves more challenging. In collaboration with the Carmichael Recreation and Park District and the San Juan Unified School District we initiated a STEM after school program at John Barrett Middle School.
Superior Sports Sacramento provided eight 90-minute weekly workshops focused on:
- Robot design and engineering
- Coding and programming
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Analytical skills
- Creativity, innovation and thinking outside-of-the-box.
During the 2025 Fall semester, 24 students participated and attendance was off the chart! We are excited to offer this program again during the 2025 Spring semester at Barrett as well. An additional 25 are taking part in the program. The quality of the program, blended with offering it right on campus and right after school, helps to make it desirable and well-received.
We are hoping to further expand to include this, and other programs such as a drama component, to our after-school and summer offerings.
Park Enhancements
New Flag Pole for the California Memorial Veteran's Building in Carmichael Park
We are proud to have played a major role in Operation Raise-the-Flag, initiated by Army veteran Bob Fitzgerald of American Legion Post 861 on behalf of the various Veterans organizations that meet in the California Memorial Veteran's Building in Carmichael Park. Having no flag pole, the 73-year-old building’s original pole had weathered so badly that it had to be removed more than 20 years ago.
When approached to participate, the Carmichael Park Foundation agreed to provide matching funds of up to $5,000 to jump start the campaign to acquire the nearly $10,000 needed to purchase the flag pole. Other contributors quickly followed, including the Kiwanis Club of Carmichael, the Carmichael Elks Lodge, the Carmichael Chamber of Commerce, and other individual donors. In the end, the Foundation provided $2662 to this effort. The new flag pole was appropriately dedicated on the day before Veterans Day, November 10, 2024.
Skate Park Planned in Carmichael Park
In April 2024 the Carmichael Recreation and Park District began working with consultants and interested community members to design a skate park in Carmichael Park. While there are not sufficient funds currently identified for the construction of this project, fund raising plans are underway. For more information visit the Carmichael Recreation and Park District website.
