Never Underestimate the Power of Women.

The Women’s Committee of Cincinnati Parks is a fierce group of civic-minded leaders who started a movement to transform Cincinnati’s riverfront. The Founding Women’s Committee members spearheaded private fundraising to support the development of The John G. and Phyllis W. Smale Riverfront Park. Their efforts changed the riverfront from a neglected, industrial side-lot to the kaleidoscopic garden oasis that it is today.

Inspired by the women who banded together in the 1980’s to resurrect New York City’s Central Park, Helen Heekin and Debbie Oliver formed the Women’s Committee in 2006. These members are recognized within The Women’s Committee Garden at Smale Riverfront Park, as testament to their enthusiasm and generosity, which turned our riverfront into the Crowned Jewel of the Queen City.

Following their opening appeal, Helen and Debbie created Cincinnati’s “Hats Off Luncheon,” to honor the hundreds of individuals who came together in support of Cincinnati Parks, and to celebrate the birth of a new breathtaking public park.

To make a deeper impact in the community, in 2018 the committee shifted focus and became “The Women’s Committee of Cincinnati Parks,” with the mission of supporting neighborhood parks across the city. Dollars raised through memberships and the annual Hats Off Luncheon support the replacement of outdated playgrounds, restoring hiking trails, planting thousands of trees and expanding accessibility for all.

Join the Women’s Committee

Add your name or a loved one’s name to The Women’s Committee of Cincinnati Parks with a one-time gift of $1,000. Help us support all 130 parks and greenspaces that touch every neighborhood in the City of Cincinnati and make a lasting impact for generations to come.

All membership contributions are 100% tax-deductible.

Please Note: name engraving for new members is not immediate. All new members after April 1, 2025 will be engraved at a later date.

Payment

Make a one-time gift of $1,000 in your name, or a loved one’s name. Please select the “One-Time $1,000 Payment” option.

Payment Plans

You may pay your $1,000 membership in installments, with reoccurring monthly payments.  The options are: $25 over 40 months OR $100 for 10 months (both total $1,000).


Please select your desired payment plan below.

  • "Altogether, wonderful women with great camaraderie getting the job done to improve our city and its parks."

    —Ellen Sole, Lifetime Women’s Committee Member

  • "I included my daughters in the Women's Committee because I wanted them to have a formal reminder of our connection to Cincinnati Parks."

    —Kelly Brown, New Women’s Committee Member

  • "The Women's Committee is not just a legacy to inherit, but a community that grows stronger with each generation."

    —Debbie Oliver, Women’s Committee Founder

Women’s Committee Leadership

Vice Co-Chairs:
Katherine Jarnigo and Molly Vollmer

Co-Chairs:
Lee Lindner & Lindsey Lewis Morton

Women’s Committee Members