Delaware North, a concessionaire and hospitality company headquartered in Buffalo, New York, has donated a $1 million gift to the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. Directed to the conservancy’s newly launched endowment campaign, the gift will support the long-term sustainability and stewardship of Buffalo’s Olmsted park system, which consists of 850 acres of urban parks, parkways and circles designed by Frederick Law Olmsted over 150 years ago.
Delaware North serves the hospitality and entertainment industry, and the company oversees operations at over 340 specialty retail locations worldwide. The company managers retail operations at sports venues, national and state parks, resorts, hotels and casinos.
In addition to the $1 million commitment, Delaware North has also announced its support for The Service Collaborative’s Buffalo Service Corps to place five AmeriCorps volunteers in the Olmsted parks to supplement the conservancy’s operations team. Working alongside conservancy staff, members will support specialized projects across the park system, including landscape stewardship, ecological management, restoration initiatives and horticultural projects.
Delaware North CEO Jerry Jacobs Jr. announced the gift at a press conference on July 7 alongside BOPC Executive Director Catie Stephenson, Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan and The Service Collaborative of Western New York Executive Director Kate Sarata.
“The Olmsted parks belong to everyone,” Jacobs said at the event. “They are one of the things that make Buffalo so special, and they deserve the kind of steady, enduring support that allows them to thrive. This is an investment in the long-term care of these parks and in the generations of Buffalonians who will enjoy them in the years ahead.”
The $1 million gift advances the conservancy’s endowment campaign, an effort to establish a permanent source of support for the operations and maintenance of Buffalo’s Olmsted-designed parks and parkways. Income generated from the endowment will provide long-term financial stability and help safeguard the future of Buffalo’s landscapes.
“Delaware North has stepped forward as a true leadership partner, making an extraordinary investment in both the future of Buffalo’s parks and the work required to care for them today,” said Stephenson. “Their leadership gift to our endowment campaign will help ensure these historic landscapes remain vibrant and sustained for generations to come, while their support for a new partnership with The Service Collaborative strengthens our ability to care for the park system today.”
Delaware North adds that it has a long history of supporting the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. Since 2017, the company has contributed more than $450,000 to the conservancy for numerous projects, and the company’s team members volunteer annually within the parks during Earth Month.
