Supporting local parks in a ‘funky’ way

I strongly believe in having open spaces we can all share to maintain and sustain our physical, emotional and spiritual health and well-being.

As an advocate for children and teen health, I support our Sonoma County Regional Parks. I specifically hope that families will enjoy the parks often to help curb such issues as childhood obesity and nature deficit syndrome.

We here in Sonoma County have a wealth of open spaces, 51 regional parks and 11 state parks that need our ongoing support in order to maintain and expand them.

I am thrilled every time I hear that more land has been acquired and that more trails are being constructed. We all know that these things are made possible by charitable, political, physical and financial support.

There are countless ways to enjoy and support our parks and open spaces. You can become a parks member, help build trails, take the trails challenge and visit as many parks together as a family as well as support environmental initiatives that expand and maintain our parks. You can also vote to approve the tax measure to support our regional parks this November.

You can also go above and beyond it all - as Bill Myers and Linda Pavlak have done.

Myers and Pavlak decided a few years back, when our state was struggling to keep parks open, that they needed to do something to help keep Sugarloaf Ridge State Park accessible. They dreamed up the wildly successful and popular Funky Fridays music series with all proceeds going to support and maintain Sugarloaf.

It was so successful and popular that the event outgrew the capacity of Sugarloaf and has since moved to the base of Hood Mountain Regional Park, where it raises funds for the Sonoma County Regional Parks.

Every Friday night from Memorial Day through Labor Day, local talented bands play in the great outdoors in a beautiful setting in front of the historic Hood Mansion. The feel-good vibe of those supporting our parks and open spaces, while they enjoy and dance to the local music talent, is inspiring and contagious.

But what is even more inspirational is to see Bill Myers and Linda Pavlak work and plan with such heart and dedication to bring this wonderful event to us all to enjoy. Not only do they begin planning these weekly events long before summer starts, but they are at every Funky Friday from 3 p.m. until 11 p.m. all summer long. I am so impressed by their hearts and bodies. They are no longer youngsters, but you would never know.

There are so many things we can all do to help support the health of our collective community. What Myers and Pavlak have done and continue to do is an example of the amazing human spirit in all of us. They demonstrate the will to get involved, to make a difference, and to unite the community around something special - every Friday.

Dr. Ari Hauptman is with the Department of Pediatrics at Kaiser Petaluma.