IMPORTANT!

The Lakes Park’s Bench Dedication Program is a work in progress!

• Donors who are interested in dedicating a bench are escorted around the park on a bench tour. The escort includes a member of the Foundation and a member of the Lee County Parks & Recreation staff. Donors are driven around the park in a golf cart to view all the options.
• Upon selection of an available option, donors fill out a dedication worksheet and submit it to the Foundation with their donation.
• The Foundation orders the bench and dedication stone.
• Upon delivery, the bench and/or dedication stone are installed by Parks & Recreation staff.
• The process typically takes about 8 weeks from the time the donation is submitted.

HOW TO GET STARTED

To make a bench tour appointment, please email the Foundation at Info@LakesPark.org 

POLICY AND RULES:

A. This policy is designed to enable parks users to support Lee County’s LAKES REGIONAL PARK through a tax-deductible Contribution. Contributions will be acknowledged by the Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation (“LPEF”) via a letter detailing the  donation, which does not entitle the donor to ownership of the donated element. Only bench donations are covered by this policy.

B. The donation must be processed before the commencement of any work. The current donation levels are four foot Bench $3,000, six foot bench $3,500, we accept checks and credit card payments. These amounts subject to adjustments periodically.

C. A donation period will last 10 years. Within this time, LPEF will replace a park bench donation and/or plaque up to one time within one year of the original installation if deemed necessary by LPEF and/or Lee County Parks & Recreation (“Parks & Rec”). Should more than one replacement be required, it is up to the donor to replace it. If the donor declines to replace it, a new donor will be sought. Dedication stones for benches with expired donation periods or benches that have been replaced by a new donor will be re-installed at a location in the park selected by Lee County Parks & Recreation.

D. After 10 years, the donated bench will be available for renewal for the cost of a new donation, with the first right of refusal given to the original donor. If the original donor opts not to renew, the bench may be removed or rededicated at any time.

DEDICATION STONES:

In order to preserve the integrity of the bench material, dedications will not be attached to the bench. Dedications are engraved on a 12” x 12” red paving stone. Dedications may consist of 1 to 8 lines of up to 18 characters each (spaces and punctuation count as characters).

Lee County prefers that we no longer engrave “memorial language”, so use words like “Dedicated to…” or “In honor of…” instead. The County and the Foundation reserve the right to reject any engraving request either organization deems inappropriate.

Bench Dedication Form