November 2018 Park Angel of the Month: Lizzie Hamilton
This year’s Party for the Parks was the most successful fundraiser the Conservancy has ever hosted. Thanks to a sold-out crowd, the largest list of sponsors to date, and a wonderful team of volunteers, the event raised nearly $110,000 for more than 25 Charleston Parks. Credit goes to the Party for the Parks Committee — a team of amazing volunteers who bring together all the elements needed to make Charleston’s biggest party such a standout success.
One of those incredible members is the incoming Chair of the Party for the Parks Committee, Lizzie Hamilton. Lizzie was born and raised in Gaffney, South Carolina and moved to Charleston to study Pharmacology at MUSC. After buying her home in downtown Charleston, Lizzie was introduced to Party for the Parks. “My first Party for the Parks was at the Gaillard in 2010,” Lizzie shared. “Soon after, my friend and neighbor, Ellie Gray, asked if I wanted to be a host for the event and I served for three years. Being a host is really important in generating excitement and selling tickets. It’s a grassroots effort.”
After her time on the Party for the Parks Host Committee, Lizzie joined the Food and Beverage Subcommittee for two more years. Like the event itself, Lizzie has come a long way and was just named the new Chair for Party for the Parks 2019. “The event is so much more than the nine hundred people who show up,” Lizzie shared. “It’s where I met a lot of my neighbors and, to this day, it’s our anniversary event for us to be together.”
When asked what the future of Party for the parks holds, Lizzie said, “I’m really excited about the direction we’ve been taking Party for the Parks. It has only grown and gained a wider following every year. My goal is to make sure Party for the Parks continues to be thriving and self-sustaining for years to come. Our continued work with new businesses, sponsors, and donors is what’s going to allow us to grow and keep doing our amazing work.”
The Charleston Parks Conservancy is the direct beneficiary of Party for the Parks and Lizzie explained why supporting our Charleston parks is so vital to the community. “For many of us, the parks are an extension of our daily lives. We need the parks like Moultrie Playground, Hazel Parker, Colonial Lake, and beyond. It’s now more important than ever with the growth in Charleston to maintain the quality of our parks.”