May 2, 2016
Have you heard? On May 3rd, all New Jerseyans are invited to come together and support local initiatives in our state’s largest city. It’s Newark’s first Day of Giving, and an opportunity to collectively shape Newark’s future.
Our friends and partners at Newark Celebration 350 – the year-long jubilee of events and festivities commemorating the 350th anniversary of Newark’s founding – have identified five important legacy projects that will have a positive impact on Newark for generations to come. We are proud to host the Newark Celebration 350 fund here at the Community Foundation, and encourage you to scan their projects below.
REPAIR & INSTALL BORGLUM’S MONUMENT
In 1916, Newark’s 250th committee commissioned one of the world’s greatest artists, Gutzon Borglum (also known for the Mount Rushmore National Monument), to honor Newark’s history with a special sculpture. He created the “First Landing Party of the Founders of Newark.” This forgotten, discarded statue stands 9 feet tall and currently resides under a tarp in a garage. Newark Celebration 350 will partner with the Newark Landmarks and Preservation Committee to restore and reinstall The Landing Monument, to be placed on the campus of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, for all to view and enjoy. Click to give.
PLANT 350 TREES IN NEWARK
Newark Celebration 350 will partner with the New Jersey Tree Foundation to plant 350 trees in honor of our city’s 350th birthday celebration. The 12-foot-tall trees will transform barren streets into welcoming, tree-lined neighborhoods. They will provide cooling shade in the summer, create lush green space for residents to gather under, and bring beauty and nature into Newark year-round. The NJ Tree Foundation will provide the trees, gloves and shovels to execute this project. Newarkers of all ages will be trained by NJ Tree Foundation staff to plant and care for the 350 trees in neighborhoods across all five wards. Click to give.
COMPOSE A JAZZ PIECE ABOUT NEWARK
Jazz artist Stefon Harris will be commissioned to compose a musical work in honor of Newark’s 350th Anniversary to be performed with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra at a Newark Celebration 350 event in Fall 2016. Your support will help fund the commission, orchestration and copying expenses, performance expenses for NJSO’s members, conductor, jazz string ensemble and singers, and NJPAC rental for rehearsals and performance, including stage labor. Click to give.
HELP NEWARK STUDENTS EARN THEIR DEGREES
Only 16.5 percent of Newark residents age 25 to 34 have a bachelor’s degree or higher, whereas the state average for the same demographic is 42 percent. The goal of the Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC) is to increase the number of Newark residents with post-secondary degrees to 25% by the year of 2025. Newark Celebration 350 will partner with the NCLC to offer student grants up to $500 to cover expenses such as books, transportation, childcare, and internships. The goal of this program will be to keep students from dropping out of school. Click to give.
WISH NEWARK A HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Here’s your chance to say “Happy Birthday Newark!” Newark Celebration 350 invites support for projects or services that addresses a compelling community need, which may include support for the NC 350 Legacy Gifts. Click to give.