GATEWAY ARCH PARK FOUNDATION

IN 2023, GATEWAY ARCH PARK FOUNDATION CONTINUED ITS EFFORTS IN CONSERVATION, PRESERVATION, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AT GATEWAY ARCH NATIONAL PARK. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:CONSERVATION: THROUGH ITS CO-MANAGED VOLUNTEER PROGRAM WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, THE FOUNDATION PLANTED THOUSANDS OF GRASS PLUGS TO REPAIR DAMAGED AREAS IN THE NORTH GATEWAY OF GATEWAY ARCH NATIONAL PARK. FOUNDATION VOLUNTEERS REMOVED NEARLY 1,400 POUNDS OF TRASH FROM ENTERING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DURING THEIR BI-ANNUAL RIVERFRONT CLEANUPS. IN 2023, THE FOUNDATION ALSO INTRODUCED A NEW VOLUNTEER POSITION THAT HELPS EDUCATE VISITORS ABOUT THE NATIVE PLANTS THAT ARE IN BLOOM ON THE GROUNDS BY SHARING RESEARCH AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE FEATURED PLANT SPECIES. PRESERVATION: TOGETHER WITH NPS, THE FOUNDATION BROKE GROUND ON THE RENOVATIONS OF THE OLD COURTHOUSE, WHICH WILL FEATURE ALL-NEW EXHIBIT GALLERIES, STRUCTURAL UPDATES, NEW HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS, RENOVATED CEILINGS AND FLOORING, A NEW FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM, AN ACCESSIBLE ELEVATOR, AND GENERAL REMEDIATION AND RESTORATION. THE FOUNDATION ALSO FUNDED, THROUGH BOTH DONORS AND SECURING A GRANT, THE DIGITIZATION OF MORE THAN 125 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS FROM THE HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION THAT DETERMINED THE DESIGN OF THE JEFFERSON NATIONAL EXPANSION MEMORIAL, NOW KNOWN AS GATEWAY ARCH NATIONAL PARK. FOUNDATION VOLUNTEERS HAVE ALSO ASSISTED IN DIGITIZING THE RESEARCH OF A PARK RANGER WHO HAD RETIRED, MAKING THE DOCUMENTS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO OTHER PARK RANGERS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. THE FOUNDATION CONTINUED TO FUND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE EXHIBITS IN THE MUSEUM AT THE GATEWAY ARCH.EDUCATION: IN 2023, THANKS TO A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION, MATCHED BY FUNDS THROUGH FOUNDATION DONORS, THE FOUNDATION WAS ABLE TO COMMISSION A TEMPORARY MURAL INSTALLATION OUTSIDE THE OLD COURTHOUSE. THIS WAS POSSIBLE DUE TO A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND A LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, ST. LOUIS ARTWORKS, WHICH PROVIDES ST. LOUIS STUDENTS WITH ART EDUCATION, JOB SKILL TRAINING, AND EXPOSURE TO CAREER OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH PAID APPRENTICESHIPS. THE PROJECT BROUGHT TOGETHER 62 YOUTH APPRENTICES AND FIVE TEACHING ARTISTS WHO CREATED FIVE LARGE-SCALE MURALS NOW DISPLAYED ON THE CONSTRUCTION FENCING OF THE OLD COURTHOUSE DURING ITS RENOVATION. IN 2023, THE FOUNDATION'S JOURNEY FUND SUPPORTED 2,298 STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS FROM UNDER-RESOURCED SCHOOLS AND YOUTH GROUPS - AN INCREASE OF 17% OVER 2022 - TO RECEIVE FREE ARCH VISITS. THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE OF PRIVATE GRANTS, THE FOUNDATION ALSO SUPPORTED AN OUTDOOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, "PADDLE YOUR PARK," WHICH WELCOMED 240 LOCAL FOURTH GRADERS, AN INCREASE OF 14% OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S PARTICIPATION. THE FOUNDATION CONTINUED TO ENSURE EQUITABLE INTERNET ACCESS THROUGHOUT THE PARK'S 91 ACRES AND IN KIENER PLAZA WITH FREE PUBLIC WI-FI AND FUNDED THE 24/7 LIVESTREAMS OF TWO WEBCAMS FROM THE TOP OF THE ARCH. IN 2023, 8,200 USERS CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN 473,000 VIEWS TO THE WEBCAMS. COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: THE FOUNDATION'S YOGA AND BOOTCAMP WEEKLY PROGRAMS SAW MORE THAN 2,300 PARTICIPANTS, WITH ANOTHER 300 AT A PARTNER'S FITNESS SERIES IN THE FALL. THE WEEKEND-LONG BLUES AT THE ARCH FESTIVAL SAW MORE THAN 12,000 ATTENDEES. THE FOUNDATION HOSTED A MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND POP-UP CONCERT AND A SALUTE TO VETERANS CONCERT THAT COLLECTIVELY SAW 3,500 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE. 2023 ALSO SAW THE RETURN OF ARCH BARK, WHICH WELCOMED MORE THAN 750 PEOPLE AND THEIR DOGS ENJOYING AN AFTERNOON AT THE NATIONAL PARK. WINTERFEST SAW MORE THAN 65,000 PEOPLE IN KIENER PLAZA OVER 23 DAYS, WITH 301 PARTICIPANTS IN THE WINTERFEST 5K. IN 2023, THE FOUNDATION'S CO-MANAGED VOLUNTEER PROGRAM WELCOMED 377 VOLUNTEERS, A 96% INCREASE OVER 2022, INCLUDING 19 CORPORATE/COMMUNITY GROUP DAYS OF SERVICE. VOLUNTEERS DONATED 5,639 HOURS OVER 1,461 SHIFTS IN AREAS SUCH AS MUSEUM VISITOR SERVICES, CONSERVATION PROJECTS, MEMBERSHIP PROJECTS, LANGUAGE TRANSLATION PROJECTS, SPECIAL EVENTS, ADMINISTRATIVE PROJECTS, AND MORE.