Partnerships Santa Barbara Parks
Plaza Vera Cruz is a public park located in downtown Santa Barbara, California, covering an area of 1.5 acres. This historic park was designated as a public park in 1855, making it one of the oldest parks in Santa Barbara. However, for many decades, the park had a history of significant misuse behaviors that created unsafe conditions, disrupted nearby residents and businesses, and deterred public use.
In 2020, the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department started a new initiative to clean up the park and revitalize it as a hub of the community. The partnership with Santa Barbara Trapeze Company (SBTC) was integral to bringing the park back to its former glory. The pilot partnership with SBTC aims to promote positive recreation activities through youth and adult trapeze classes, providing visitors with a unique and exciting way to enjoy the park while also promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.
Before entering into the partnership, the Parks and Recreation Department hosted an on-site community meeting on April 14, 2021, to discuss the proposed changes with the local community. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with surrounding residents and businesses welcoming the park improvements and the pilot partnership with SBTC. That positivity has carried through as SBTC continues to make an incredible impact on the local community by hosting fundraisers for local charities, hosting summer camps and after-school programs, and offering scholarships for those programs for kids in need.
To date, SBTC has added $127,138.32 value in community events and trapeze classes for local charities, kids' programs, and scholarships because we believe in the power of flying trapeze to have a positive impact on mental health, self-worth, and confidence for families, individuals, and teams.
Are you interested in forming a new partnership? Contact US HERE
Total value of donations and events for local non-profits and the community: $127,138.32
Camp scholarships awarded : 38
Free community events hosted: 8
Press mentions: 15
Total expenses removed from city balance sheet to date: $53,458.32
