The ask
Install outdoor fitness equipment in Balboa Park, by the pool parking lot.
Why it matters
Balboa Park has no gym, yet lots of groups already exercise outside:
- MWF Circuits in the parking lot
- Mom's Sunday Bootcamp on the grass by the pool
- Tai Chi in the parking lot
- Personal fitness sessions in the parking lot
- Holi dance practices next to the basketball court
Bodyweight equipment and a dance/exercise pad would give everyone a place to work out, any time, on their own schedule. There's no room for strength training equipment inside the rec center, and our weather is generally mild, so outdoor equipment is a natural fit.
What we’ve done
- 2026
Waitlisted for a Community Opportunity Fund grant.
- 2026
Joined the SF Public Space Collective, with fiscal sponsorship through Contina Impact.
- Mar 26, 2026
Applied for a Community Opportunity Fund (COF) grant. No fiscal sponsor needed.
- Feb 21, 2026
Presented our proposal at the COF workshop and it was accepted.
- 2025
SF Parks Alliance closed (Feb/Mar), leaving us without a fiscal sponsor, so we could not fundraise or apply for the Community Challenge Grant.
- Dec 2024
Rec & Park approved the design (National Fitness Campaign).
- 2024
Held 3 community meetings (2 in person, 1 online) to review design options and gather feedback, and launched a petition.
- 2024
Reached out to equipment providers: National Fitness Campaign, Kompan, and Greenfields.
- 2023
Initial requests for equipment. We were told we would need approved designs and to fundraise for it.