On April 19, Parks & Rec thanked and acknowledged Mrs. Edith Dixon at a morning event in LOVE Park (JFK Plaza). Mrs. Dixon is the private donor who made restoration of the LOVE sculpture possible. Mrs. Dixon and her late husband, Mr. F. Eugene (Fitz) Dixon, Jr., were instrumental in bringing LOVE to the park originally back in 1976.

Key partners in the restoration and fundraising process included nonprofit partner Fairmount Park Conservancy and the City’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy.

Other event announcements included:

• a $250,000 gift from Bank of America, Philadelphia to sponsor the plaza in which the sculpture sits in the southwest corner of the park.
• the official ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony for LOVE Park will take place on Wednesday, May 30 at 11 a.m.
• Parks & Rec and Fairmount Park Conservancy have joined forces to establish a friends group for LOVE Park.
• The first Friends of LOVE Park fundraising event will be held on May 30 at 6 p.m. Proceeds from the event will support park maintenance and free programming throughout the year.