What is a friend of Brodie?

Friends of Brodie Park, LLC was created specifically to fund maintenance and improvement projects at Brodie Park in New Hartford, CT. 

We are your friends and neighbors, residents of New Hartford and other communities.  We share this in common:  WE LOVE BRODIE PARK!

The Town of New Hartford made a great move when they purchased the defunct facility known as “Camp Berkshire”, and converted it into a public facility known as Brodie Park.  In doing so, they gave a whole new population access to this beautiful place - for swimming, hiking, biking, walking, cross country skiing, sledding, picnicking, playing soccer, baseball, tennis, volleyball...
New Hartford has improved the facility since its purchase, concentrating on the waterfront and Berkshire Hall.  Additional funds for maintenance and improvements have been limited, and parts of the park have suffered from neglect.  The Friends of Brodie Park have come together to fill that void - our mission is to raise money to maintain and improve Brodie Park, for the benefit of everyone who enjoys this facility.  We are committed to finding ways of funding these projects without creating an additional burden on local property taxes.

We will raise money the old fashioned way: through hard work, enthusiasm, and inspiration.  We will make applications for grants, run annual campaigns, have bake sales and dances.  Whatever it takes.  The Friends of Brodie Park, LLC is registered with the state of Connecticut, and is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit.  All donations are tax-deductible.

Since its inception, the Friends of Brodie Park has...

 •...stabilized the field house by weatherproofing it, decreasing it's rate of decay.

 •...formed a relationship with the University of Hartford School of Architecture to formulate plans for the renovation of the field house.

•...received a grant in the amount of $180,000 to fund the construction of a handicapped accessible playscape for all.  The playground was built by the community in a stunning volunteer effort in May of 2005 and can now be enjoyed by children throughout the area.

•...sponsored many events at Brodie Park, such as the Halloween Party, Annual Race Around the Lake, Big Wheels at Brodie and more.  These events serve two purposes: to raise money to fund our mission, and to increase community use of and awareness of this vital town asset.

•...helped involve the public in governmental processes involving the use of the park.  Proposals involving private businesses and organizations claiming part of this publicly-owned asset were successfully challenged and defeated when held up to public scrutiny.

Support us however you can: by making a tax deductible donation, supporting our fundraisers, attending our events, or volunteering your time.  Fill out the form on our Sign-Up page to be added to our mailing list, or to volunteer 
for upcoming events.